WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday ordered the suspension of the withdrawal of certain Venezuelans from the United States for 18 months, citing conditions in the South American country.
“The deteriorating condition in Venezuela, which poses a continuing threat to national security for the safety and well-being of the American people, justifies the postponement of the removal of Venezuelan citizens who are present in the United States,” Trump, on the eve of leaving the White House, said in a memo to the Secretaries of State and Homeland Security.
Some Venezuelans, including those who have committed a crime, are exempt from the order.
United States President-elect Joe Biden said in late October that he would “immediately” grant humanitarian protection to Venezuelans living in the United States, which would allow them to stay in the country and obtain work permits.
The Pew Research Center think tank estimated that there were 130,000 Venezuelans living illegally in the United States in 2017.
(Reporting by Mohammad Zargham, Ted Hesson and Kristina Cooke; Editing by Himani Sarkar and Shri Navaratnam)