Based on the Trump memorandum, the United States will postpone the removal of certain Venezuelan citizens present in the United States on January 20 for 18 months. It also allows these Venezuelans to work during that period.
Last year, the State Department had considered using DED to protect Venezuelans, but negotiations have stalled due to resistance to including relief for exiles in Trump’s Venezuela strategy. The outgoing president’s strategy focused on sanctions to put maximum pressure on the Maduro regime.
The move to use DED instead of TPS stems from the longstanding concern of some Republicans that TPS will eventually become a path to permanent residence in the United States. The Postponed Forced Exit is designated by the President and gives the Chief Executive the ability to close it without so many procedural obstacles.
DED’s offer to Venezuelans is expected to protect some 200,000 Venezuelan citizens in the United States from deportation – the same number that it potentially would have under the TPS, according to TPS estimates from the Congressional Budget Office.
Florida Republicans, like Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart, have long pushed for the Trump administration to offer Venezuelans temporary legal status due to the dire situation in the South American country. It has also been sold for a long time as a way to build more goodwill with the Venezuelan community in South Florida.
Despite not giving TPS to Venezuelans, Trump – with his campaign’s anti-socialist message – won in Doral, home to the largest Venezuelan community in the United States, showing significant gains in 2016.
People close to Trump’s decision at the last minute said White House advisers Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner were involved in his advance. The decision – which comes less than 16 hours before the end of Trump’s presidency – is likely to come as good news in South Florida, where he, his daughter and his son-in-law will soon reside.
Senator Marco Rubio, who has been heavily involved in Trump’s Latin American policy, on Sunday hinted that an announcement could be made soon.
“Still hopeful that, as I suggested more than a year ago and again three months ago, the president will grant deferred forced departure (DED) to eligible Venezuelan citizens who currently reside in the United States,” Rubio (R-Florida). wrote on Twitter.
President-elect Joe Biden had already promised to grant Venezuelans temporary protection status. In 2019, the Democratic-led House passed a bipartisan bill to grant TPS to Venezuelans. But the legislation was retained in the Senate controlled by the Republican Party, despite Rubio’s support.