The White House approved the postponement of deportations of some Venezuelans in a decision 11 hours before President Trump
Donald TrumpLil Wayne gets Trump forgiveness in the 11th hour Trump grants clemency to more than 100 people, including Bannon Trump must forgive Bannon: reports MORE leaves office.
The White House said in a memo released Tuesday that it is approving the Deferred Forced Exit (DED) for Venezuelans. The recipients of the postponement will be able to live and work in the USA, similar to those protected by a temporary protection status (TPS).
The memo reached the government of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, accusing his corruption of producing “the worst humanitarian crisis in the Western Hemisphere in recent memory”.
“A catastrophic economic crisis and a shortage of basic products and medicines has forced nearly five million Venezuelans to flee the country, often in dangerous conditions,” wrote the White House in the memo.
“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.”
The new policy is a final blow to the White House Maduro regime, which has recognized opposition leader Juan Guaidó as interim president since 2019, after a 2018 presidential race that Maduro won, but observers say there has been widespread fraud.
Maduro appeared to be holding power shortly after the elections, as an alarming humanitarian crisis, fueled by a shortage of food and medicine, worsened further, and Western nations gathered around Guaidó. However, he managed to retain the presidency as the enthusiasm between the opposition waned and international attention was concentrated elsewhere.
The new policy postpones deportations to “any Venezuelan national, or foreigner without nationality who has habitually resided in Venezuela, who is present in the United States as of January 20, 2021.”
Those not protected by the program include Venezuelans who “voluntarily returned to Venezuela or their country of last habitual residence outside the United States”; did not live continuously in the USA; having been convicted of a crime or two or more offenses; are subject to extradition; the Secretary of Homeland Security “has determined that it is not in the United States’ interest or represents a danger to public security;” the Secretary of State “has reasonable reason to believe that it would have potentially serious adverse consequences for the foreign policy of the United States”.
The move was met with applause from some Republican lawmakers who have long advocated the need for the United States to take a stand against socialist dictatorships like Venezuela.
“We have a fundamental obligation to provide safe haven for those fleeing tyranny and oppression. This act of solidarity offers our Venezuelan exiled community the much needed guarantee during these unprecedented times, ”said Rep. María Elvira Salazar (R-Florida). “I will never stop fighting for this just cause until Venezuela is freed from Maduro’s murderous and socialist regime and is once again a vibrant and prosperous democracy that respects the rule of law.”