As of November 7, 600,000 Venezuelans living and working in the country under Temporary Protected Status (TPS) who have not filed other applications to adjust their status will automatically become undocumented. The same situation is looming for citizens of Nicaragua, Honduras, and Haiti following the Donald Trump Administration’s decision to revoke this immigration relief.
But beyond the dramatic complications of this circumstance, specifically for Venezuelans, the issue takes on additional dimensions for a reason not faced by other citizens worldwide: thousands who currently want to leave the country voluntarily do not have passports, nor the ability to obtain them, because all South American country’s consulates in the United States have been closed since 2019.
- And the possibility of being detained, separated from their children, and ultimately deported to a territory that, for some, would be very dangerous to return to.
- “Every case is unique”
- There are well-documented reports showing how hundreds of citizens from the South American nation have left cities like Doral, Florida, having economic impacts.
- Immigration lawyers advise that those who entered through the border and wish to leave voluntarily should consult the mobile app CBP Home, which provides users access to services offered by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), including the Departure Intent feature.
- “It’s the worst time to return”
- The USCIS Argument
- Data on a Diaspora:
The story of Mildred Camero, 35, could illustrate the lives of hundreds of Venezuelans right now in New York City. She has lived in the Bronx since 2021. She enrolled in TPS and never applied for another type of status adjustment. This immigrant is ready to leave. She refuses to spend a single day walking the streets marked by the fear of being detained and deported. In reality, her decision to “self-deport” is irreversible, but lacking identification plunges her into an abyss that is hard to describe.
Starting this Friday, at 11:59 p.m., Mildred’s Employment Authorization Document (EAD), along with those of thousands of her compatriots, will expire, triggering a cascade of consequences: loss of jobs, driver’s licenses, and cancellation of university scholarships.
And the possibility of being detained, separated from their children, and ultimately deported to a territory that, for some, would be very dangerous to return to.
“It’s clear that this was a temporary benefit, as its name suggests. It’s up to each country to grant and revoke immigration relief. But for many Venezuelans, returning to our country is not an option. Those of us who want to go to a third country, who should already be flying, are trapped here because of the passport issue,” Mildred revealed.
In this immigrant’s case, her “travel document is not only expired but also lost.” In other words, she doesn’t even have valid proof of identity beyond her work permit and the Municipal Identification Card from New York City, which does not allow her to board a plane.
Mildred is considering leaving the country by land via Texas, since she also cannot board domestic flights without a Real ID. The same situation could be facing hundreds who entered through the border and, amid the challenges of that process, lost all their documentation or had it confiscated by authorities.
“Every case is unique”
In New York, Venezuelans are the Hispanic group that has grown the most exponentially since 2022.
According to the National Immigration Forum (Forum), TPS beneficiaries as of March 31, 2025, who were settled in the tri-state area of New York numbered approximately 98,000. However, it is certain that this number has decreased, considering that the pressure from the Trump Administration’s measures has already “self-deported” hundreds of these nationals.
In other states like Florida and Texas, the emotional effects have been more visible than in New York, because in these states, where governors and police forces collaborate intensely with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the strategy of mass deportations, the anxiety and panic caused by lacking any immigration protection is much greater.
There are well-documented reports showing how hundreds of citizens from the South American nation have left cities like Doral, Florida, having economic impacts.
In New York, where this migrant group is more dispersed and does not represent a majority, the effects of TPS termination are harder to measure.
“What we hear as activists are anecdotes; it’s very difficult to have a specific quantitative assessment of how many and how this measure is impacting, but a very complicated chapter is beginning, both for those who want to stay and for those who choose to leave voluntarily. Both options are difficult,” concluded Niurka Meléndez, spokesperson for Venezuelan and Immigrants Aid (VIA), an organization in Manhattan that has provided support to forced migrants from that Caribbean nation for eight years.
Meléndez reiterates that it is important for each of her compatriots to understand that every case is unique, and even the decision to leave the country should be reasoned with the help of a lawyer, especially for those with pending court hearings.
Immigration lawyers advise that those who entered through the border and wish to leave voluntarily should consult the mobile app CBP Home, which provides users access to services offered by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), including the Departure Intent feature.
As Héctor Arguinzones, founder of VIA, highlights, the drama of denying Venezuelans their right to identity places thousands of migrants in the United States who have no option to return to Venezuela in a labyrinth with more walls than exits, as it also intersects with major financial challenges.
“It’s chaotic for many who have expired passports and want to resettle in another country, because as we’ve insisted as an organization, the conditions of systematic violations of fundamental human rights in Venezuela are actually worsening at this time. Raising money to go to Colombia or Mexico to wait for a safe-conduct pass or try to extend passport validity is not easy for many. It’s a detour that can cost a family thousands of dollars,” he added.
“It’s the worst time to return”
For many TPS holders from this South American country with expired passports who decided not to spend a single day in the United States under the shadow of lacking legal status and the risk of being detained by ICE, one of the most common exit routes to seek resettlement in another country is Colombia. Airlines allow this national group to fly to its territory as long as the passport’s expiration date does not exceed 10 years.
Venezuelan student Lorenzo Rondón, 28, lives in Brooklyn and after “exhausting several options” to adjust his status, decided to move to Spain, which involves a significant financial investment and will also mean being “at risk” on the streets of New York for a few months, where, due to its ‘sanctuary city’ status, he understands interactions with ICE could be more complicated. Still, he prefers to leave as soon as possible.
“It’s the worst time to return to my country. Even though New York is a friendly and supportive city for immigrants, everything indicates that raids will begin in the coming days.
Employers are very afraid of hiring you if you don’t have papers. I would have left already if it weren’t for the fact that my passport is expired. And obtaining it means thousands of dollars, because first I have to go to a third country before flying to Spain,” he shared.
Lorenzo says he knows of several cases of people who have voluntarily returned to Venezuela from the United States and have been subjected to humiliation and extortion by customs officials.
Other immigrants consulted, like 45-year-old Pedro from Caracas, who also becomes undocumented today, say they are “not going to run away.” Although he has no faith that immigration pressure will change, he only trusts that New York is a less hostile territory with more protections to make a calmer decision.
“I will leave, and hopefully, there will be a change in my country so I can return without problems. Right now, I have no savings or a Plan B. I just have to survive like thousands of undocumented immigrants in this city,” he said.
The USCIS Argument
Over 260,000 Venezuelans benefited from the immigration protection granted by the Joe Biden administration four years ago, but both they and the 300,000 who received it in 2023 lost it despite several legal battles and ultimately a Supreme Court ruling. Although there are pending judicial processes, experts indicate they could take months or years.
“Given Venezuela’s key role in driving irregular migration, it directly undermines the Trump Administration’s efforts to secure our southern border and manage migration effectively. It is clear that allowing Venezuelan citizens to remain temporarily in the United States does not serve the national interest,” stated Matthew Tragesser, spokesperson for the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), to justify the cancellation.
The USCIS website indicates that those who registered before February 5 will have their documentation remain valid until October 2026. However, this only applies to a small group that filed their renewal between January 17 and February 5, 2025; this group, in theory, will be able to keep their work permit until next year.
Data on a Diaspora:
Approximately 100,000 Venezuelans are settled in the tri-state area of New York, though it is very difficult to determine the accuracy of this figure at this time. The 2020 census counted no more than 16,000.
7.9 million people have left Venezuela in recent years in search of protection and a better life, according to the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR). This represents 20% of the country’s population.
Image: DiarioNY
