Maribel Hastings
Posted January 15, 2026
The Trump administration’s approach to Venezuela reveals sharp inconsistencies: while criticizing the regime of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and orchestrating his recent removal to face serious charges in New York, the administration has harshly treated Venezuelan immigrants fleeing that same regime.
Far from welcoming these immigrants fleeing Maduro’s dictatorship, Trump revoked protections such as Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and humanitarian parole, and even asylum applications are now in a kind of limbo, complicated by the uncertainty surrounding the political situation in Venezuela following the U.S. military operation, which could influence the final outcome for applicants.
Trump took TPS from over 600,000 Venezuelans, removing their work permits and protection from deportation. He also ended humanitarian parole, previously enabling over 117,000 Venezuelans to enter the U.S. legally. Many Venezuelan asylum seekers have faced court detention. Additionally, 252 Venezuelans were deported to CECOT prison in El Salvador under the 1798 Alien Enemies Act, without due process. Venezuela is currently one of 19 nations facing U.S. suspension of adjustments to immigration benefits, such as green cards and citizenship applications.
The fact is that throughout this process, little has been said about restoring democracy or protecting human rights.
As an example of the inconsistencies, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem stated that, given the political developments, Venezuelans who had TPS could apply for refuge in the United States. But hours later, the DHS itself contradicted Noem and stated that the more than half a million Venezuelans who had TPS could return to their country, “a country that they love.” In fact, refugee status applies to people outside the United States, so the application must be made from abroad. Asylum can be requested on U.S. soil.
The bulk of the Venezuelan exile community is based in Florida, and many support President Trump, who took away their immigration protections. It remains to be seen whether the military operation that removed Maduro will repair that damage, but everything will depend on how the situation unfolds.
Those who hoped that no traces of the regime would remain have been confronted with the fact that Maduro’s vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, was sworn in as acting president on Jan. 5. Monday. In other words, Maduro’s regime is still in place.
Apart from political considerations and the effect that Maduro’s departure may have on other countries in the region and on the interests of nations such as China, one of the big questions is undoubtedly what will happen to the millions of Venezuelans in the diaspora, especially those living in the United States, who have lost their immigration protections.
If the situation in Venezuela worsens, the question is what will happen to the Venezuelans that Trump de-legalized here in the United States. The mayor of Miami, Democrat Eileen Higgins, called for the reinstatement of TPS so that Venezuelans do not return to an unstable country.
The fact is that throughout this process, little has been said about restoring democracy or protecting human rights. Rather, the talk has been about seizing Venezuelan oil and portraying Venezuela as the main exporter of drugs to the United States, even though it is not. A recent United Nations report ranks Venezuela as a marginal country on the drug trafficking route.
If the interest were to protect the United States from drug trafficking, why did Trump pardon former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández, who was serving a 45-year prison sentence for conspiring to bring more than 400 tons of cocaine to U.S. soil?
The reality is that Trump 2.0 seems to have recently realized China’s influence in the Western Hemisphere and, as in other historical periods, the United States wants to direct the fate of other countries by dusting off the manual of US imperialism from the last century.
Although on this occasion, there is also an interest in diverting the US public’s attention from various domestic disasters, such as the high cost of living and housing, and the looming increases in Obamacare health insurance premiums following the Republicans’ elimination of subsidies.
Stephen Miller, deputy chief of staff at the White House and national security advisor, said on CNN that under the “Trump doctrine,” the United States will use its military “unapologetically” to guarantee U.S. interests. “We’re a superpower. And under President Trump, we are going to conduct ourselves as a superpower,” Miller said.
The Trump doctrine in Venezuela is chaotic, cynical, and marked by contradiction and disregard for the Venezuelan diaspora’s well-being.
Maribel Hastings is a Senior Advisor to América’s Voice.
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