Image Credit: Canva
The Tennessee Conservative [By Olivia Lupia] –
On Monday, May 19, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a decision by the Department of Homeland Security to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for approximately 350,000 Venezuelan migrants nationwide, opening them up to deportations and removals as the Trump administration continues its rigorous immigration enforcement efforts.
Protected status is granted by the DHS when a country’s living conditions are deemed too unsafe for its citizens to return and grants legal reprieve for residents of such country to remain in the U.S. and obtain an employment authorization document.
While under TPS, individuals cannot be detained based on their immigration status and are not considered removable from the U.S. TPS is also specifically stated to be “a temporary benefit that does not lead to lawful permanent resident status or give any other immigration status”.
The Biden administration extended its 2023 TPS designation for the Venezuelans on January 17, 2025, just days before President Trump took office, to prevent removals of these migrants, many of whom likely originally came to the U.S. via illegal avenues but were then protected from deportation due to the TPS.
Several thousand of these Venezuelans reside in Tennessee and could now be facing deportations with the Supreme Court’s lifting of an injunction from a lower court attempting to block DHS Secretary Kristi Noem from ending TPS for these South Americans.
According to The Tennessean’s data from the American Immigration Council there were approximately 3,500 Venezuelans under TPS in Tennessee as of 2023 and 7,000 individuals sheltered by TPS in the state overall. That number climbed in 2024 to 10,295 temporary protected status holders in the state though there was no exact number available for how many of those individuals are from Venezuela.
TPS numbers have quadrupled since 2020 as the Biden administration created or expanded programs for Venezuela, Afghanistan, Cameroon, Haiti, and Ukraine.
While another group of Venezuelans’ protections will not expire until September thanks to a separate 2021 TPS designation, many statuses will end immediately, opening up the previously protected individuals to removals, despite ongoing litigation.
Advocates for the migrants have criticized the DHS’ decision to end the programs, claiming it is proof the Trump administration does not care about someone’s legal status.
Ahilan Arulanantham, a lawyer representing a group of migrants suing over the policy change, believes, “The humanitarian and economic impact of the Court’s decision will be felt immediately, and will reverberate for generations.”
A spokesperson from the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition has deemed that those who don’t fit the Trump administration’s “narrow view” of what it means to be an American are “on the chopping block”. “We are disappointed but not deterred, and we will keep fighting for a government and immigration system that treats us with the dignity we all deserve,” they said.
In contrast, Secretary Noem has previously said the continued TPS is contrary to national interests and security, contending it helped lead to the arrival of the violent gang Tren de Aragua and has “resulted in associated difficulties in local communities where local resources have been inadequate to meet the demands caused by increased numbers.”
Between the 2021 and 2023 designations, the Venezuelan TPS program is the largest, offering protections to over 600,000 individuals currently in the country.
Tricia McLaughlin, DHS assistant secretary for public affairs, called the Supreme Court’s ruling a “win for the American people and the safety of our communities.”
About the Author: Olivia Lupia is a political refugee from Colorado who now calls Tennessee home. A proud follower of Christ, she views all political happenings through a Biblical lens and aims to utilize her knowledge and experience to educate and equip others. Olivia is an outspoken conservative who has run for local office, managed campaigns, and been highly involved with state & local GOPs, state legislatures, and other grassroots organizations and movements. Olivia can be reached at olivia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
