Venezuelan immigrants worry about deportation after Maduro's capture

Venezuelans in the U.S. marked the capture of Nicolás Maduro with relief, while many who lack permanent status say they are now worried about possible deportation and frozen immigration cases.

U.S. strikes resulted in the capture of Venezuela's president, Nicolás Maduro, and Venezuelan communities in the United States responded with celebrations. At the same time, many Venezuelan immigrants who lack permanent lawful status describe mixed feelings and fear about their own futures. Over recent years hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans have settled in the U.S., some under Temporary Protected Status or other pathways established under the prior administration. Officials from the current administration have said the operation creates an opportunity for Venezuelans to return, while other policy moves and legal steps have left many cases paused or contested. Key developments: - U.S. officials announced that strikes led to Maduro's capture and described it as a change in Venezuela's situation. - The administration has framed the event as an opening for Venezuelans to return home, according to a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services spokesman. - Many Venezuelan immigrants in the U.S. face uncertainty: some protections and sponsored-arrival programs have been narrowed or challenged, and a number had Temporary Protected Status under the previous administration. - Several legal and administrative actions are active: immigration processing for people from certain countries remains frozen, and the Justice Department has appealed a court ruling related to the Alien Enemies Act. Summary: The capture prompted both celebration and heightened anxiety among Venezuelan immigrants in the United States, who say they now face a more uncertain legal outlook as policy changes take effect. Legal appeals and administrative decisions are underway, and immigration cases for some remain paused as those processes continue.