The President Trump administration announced on Wednesday, September 3, that it will terminate the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program for roughly 268,000 Venezuelan migrants in the U.S., urging them to self-deport within 60 days, as part of a broader effort to roll back humanitarian protections and tighten immigration policy.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said the program, created in 2021 under then-President Joe Biden, will be terminated unless blocked by the courts. DHS officials noted that around 268,000 Venezuelans are currently covered, with their protections set to lapse in two months.
This latest move continues the administration’s push to dismantle TPS designations extended to migrants from countries in crisis. Earlier this year, following a Supreme Court ruling, the administration ended a separate 2023 TPS program that had shielded 350,000 Venezuelans who entered through Biden-era immigration pathways. The 2021 designation, by contrast, applies to Venezuelans who have resided longer in the U.S.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem concluded that maintaining the program was not in the national interest, arguing that TPS encourages more illegal immigration. “Venezuela’s substantial role in driving irregular migration and the magnet effect created by TPS undermines efforts to secure the southern border,” DHS spokesman Matthew Tragesser said.
Migrants losing TPS who lack other legal avenues — such as asylum or permanent residency applications — could be arrested or deported. DHS is offering a “voluntary return” option through its CBP Home smartphone app, including a $1,000 incentive for self-deportation.
TPS, established by Congress in 1990, provides temporary refuge to migrants from countries facing war, disaster, or other emergencies. But the Trump administration has repeatedly criticized the program as overextended and misused.
In recent months, the administration has also moved to terminate TPS protections for migrants from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Haiti, Honduras, Nepal, and Nicaragua.
Immigrant advocates have vowed to challenge the decision in court, arguing that Venezuela and other countries remain unsafe, and alleging that the administration’s actions are politically motivated and discriminatory.
