The White House will announce on Monday a temporary protection status decree that could allow tens of thousands of Venezuelans who fled their country to remain in the United States with legal status, Congressional sources said.
The program marks a significant change in U.S. policy towards Venezuelans, who during most of the Trump administration were denied protection, even when President Trump was trying to overthrow the left-wing government in Caracas. His government also secretly deported Venezuelans, despite the clamor in Congress for protection status for Venezuelan refugees.
Just on his last day in office, Trump issued an executive order postponing the removal of Venezuelans for 18 months, but left them in limbo.
An announcement from the White House was expected on Monday, but an official in Senator Richard J. Durbin’s office (D-Ill.) Confirmed that government officials informed the office in advance of the move. A second Senate cabinet confirmed the decision.
Fleeing the poverty, hunger, disease and brutal repression of President Nicolás Maduro, more than 4 million Venezuelans have left their country so far, according to the United Nations refugee agency, and more than 800,000 have sought asylum worldwide.