Venezuelans under TPS can apply for refugee status, Noem says

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Venezuelans previously covered by temporary protected status can apply for refugee status, and she said the US wants a Venezuelan leader who will partner to curb drug trafficking and security threats.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Venezuelans who were covered by temporary protected status (TPS) can apply for refugee status. She made the remarks in an interview on Fox News Sunday. Noem also said the United States wants a Venezuelan leader who will be a partner in efforts to curb drug trafficking and prevent security threats. Four months earlier Noem ended the 2021 TPS designation for Venezuela. Key details: - Noem said every individual who had TPS has the opportunity to apply for refugee status. - She terminated the 2021 Biden-era TPS designation for Venezuela four months ago after determining it was "contrary to the US national interest," affecting over 250,000 Venezuelans. - Those affected joined around 350,000 Venezuelans who had been stripped of TPS under a previous order. - Florida is home to over half of the Venezuelan TPS holders affected, and many are now engaged in legal battles to remain in the United States. - Miami Mayor Elaine Higgins called on the administration to restore TPS, saying the revocation "was reckless, dangerous, and wrong" and that Venezuela remains unsafe for return. - A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said Venezuela's "substantial role in driving irregular migration" had directly undermined the administration's immigration policies. Summary: Noem's comments frame refugee applications as a possible pathway for people who lost TPS and link migration policy to broader US security concerns. The prior withdrawal of TPS has affected hundreds of thousands of people and left many in legal contests. Undetermined at this time.