Venezuelan organizations in the U.S. are asking the Donald Trump administration to extend or restore Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for migrants.
This request comes as Venezuela struggles to recover from a series of earthquakes that struck the country this week. Advocates argue that the current humanitarian crisis makes it impossible for the nation to safely accept individuals facing deportation from the U.S.
The earthquakes caused significant devastation, resulting in at least 188 deaths [1]. In response to the tragedy, Delcy Rodríguez said the government declared a seven-day period of national mourning [2].
Venezuelan advocacy groups are specifically requesting that the U.S. government grant a TPS extension for up to 18 months [3]. This legal status provides temporary protection from deportation, and allows eligible noncitizens to obtain employment authorization.
José Antonio Colina, a spokesperson for the organizations, said the country is not in a condition to receive deportees [4]. The groups maintain that the scale of the seismic damage, combined with existing instability, justifies the immediate restoration of these protections to prevent migrants from returning to a disaster zone.
Under TPS, the U.S. government grants relief to nationals of countries facing ongoing armed conflict, environmental disasters, or other extraordinary and temporary conditions. Advocates argue the recent earthquakes meet these criteria, creating a new layer of urgency for those currently residing in the U.S. without permanent legal status [3].
“The country is not in a condition to receive deportees”
The push for TPS extension reflects a strategic attempt by migrant advocates to leverage sudden natural disasters to secure legal stability for Venezuelans in the U.S. By framing the issue as a humanitarian necessity rather than a political one, these organizations hope to move the Trump administration to provide a legal buffer against deportation during a period of acute national crisis in Venezuela.
