Approximately 350,000 Venezuelans face an uncertain future as their Temporary Protected Status (TPS) is set to expire in April, leaving them vulnerable to deportation. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), led by Secretary Kristi Noem, recently decided not to extend TPS for Venezuelans, escalating concerns for nearly 600,000 individuals caught in a state of limbo. This decision has prompted significant repercussions as a plane carrying 177 deported Venezuelan migrants arrived back in Venezuela on Thursday.
The deported individuals were initially transported to Honduras before being transferred to Venezuela. This move comes after the Venezuelan government requested the repatriation of nationals they claimed were "unjustly taken to the Guantanamo naval base." Notably, the DHS has alleged that some of these migrants have connections to the Tren de Aragua gang, a notorious criminal organization originating from a Venezuelan prison.
Senior officials from the Trump administration have characterized Guantanamo Bay as a holding area for the "worst of the worst, high threat" individuals. Of the Venezuelan migrants sent there, 127 were classified as high threat and detained in the maximum-security prison. Meanwhile, 51 others deemed low-to-medium threat are held at a migrant operations center. The legality of detaining migrants at Guantanamo Bay has been questioned, given the base's infamous history as a detention site in the US-led "war on terror."
In September, protections for an additional 250,000 Venezuelans are expected to lapse, potentially leading to further deportations. The Venezuelan government, however, has expressed a warm reception for those who have returned. Upon their arrival on Thursday, the government emphasized their commitment to reuniting these individuals with their families.
"Are not criminals, they are not bad people, they were people who emigrated as a result of the [US] sanctions… in Venezuela we welcome them as a productive force, with a loving embrace." – President Nicholas Maduro
