A Republican lawmaker criticized the Supreme Court ruling allowing the Trump administration to revoke Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Venezuelans, urging the government to refrain from deporting nationals.
In a social media post, Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar said she was "deeply disappointed" with the ruling, which paves the way for the deportation of over 350,000 Venezuelans.
"Venezuela's dictator Nicolas Maduro also leads Tren de Aragua—a transnational criminal enterprise. We must not send innocent people back into the grip of a narco-terrorist," the lawmaker added.
I’m deeply disappointed with today’s Supreme Court decision to abruptly end TPS for over 350,000 Venezuelans.
— Rep. María Elvira Salazar (@RepMariaSalazar) May 19, 2025
Venezuela’s dictator Nicolas Maduro also leads Tren de Aragua—a transnational criminal enterprise. We must not send innocent people back into the grip of a…
For that reason she asked the Trump administration to grant Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) for Venezuelans and CHNV beneficiaries. "We should protect those fleeing tyranny—not return them to it," she said.
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) explains that DED can be authorized by the president and while it is not a "specific immigration status, individuals covered by DED are not subject to removal from the United States, usually for a designated period of time."
The Trump administration seems unlikely to listen to the request, considering it asked the Supreme Court to allow it to revoke TPS for Venezuelans in the first place.
Salazar recently introduced a bill to extend TPS for about 600,000 Venezuelans for 18 months. She introduced the bill along with Democratic Reps. Darren Soto and Debbie Wasserman Schultz.
The latter also slammed the decision, saying "Venezuelan TPS holders fled the Maduro regime and built lives in America," and that the "atrocious decision allows Trump to deport non-criminals back to a murderous dictator." "This fight is NOT over. We must pass my Venezuela TPS Act to keep our community safe," she added added.
"TPS beneficiaries are not criminals, they're here legally and those with criminal records don't qualify for this protection. I'm proud to join this bipartisan effort to protect Venezuelan families in my district and prevent them from being unjustly separated while we continue the fight for a free and prosperous Venezuela under democratic leadership," the lawmaker said.
TPS offers deportation relief and work authorization to migrants from countries facing war, disaster, or extraordinary conditions. The Biden administration granted TPS to Venezuelans in 2021, citing repression, humanitarian collapse, and civil unrest under President Nicolás Maduro. The Trump administration has argued that those conditions no longer justify continued protections.
President Donald Trump has consistently denounced Venezuela's authoritarian President Nicolas Maduro and supported the Venezuelan opposition, but the revocation of TPS marks a shift from his first administration, during which he granted Venezuelans Deferred Enforced Departure status on his last day in office.
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