While speaking in Miami about the ongoing crisis in Venezuela earlier this week, there was something noticeably missing from President Trump’s speech: he did not mention the immigrants his administration has deported back to the Maduro regime and whether or not he would extend Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to the thousands of Venezuelans who now call the United States home.
Even before he took the stage at FIU, Florida Democrats pleaded Trump to extend TPS for Venezuelans.
Florida Politics: Democrats call on Donald Trump to extend ‘protected status’ to Venezuelans
“[…] President Trump has sought to curtail TPS protections in the past, announcing an end to TPS for immigrants from Haiti and Central America.”Sun Sentinel: Give South Florida Venezuelans protected status, congress members urge
“[…] The Trump administration has denied asylum visas to nearly half of Venezuelans seeking refuge in the United States, and this number will continue to rise due to Trump’s anti-immigrant stance […]”Fox News: Democrats press Trump to give Venezuelans in US reprieve from deportation
“[…] Trump has taken aim at TPS, moving to end it for immigrants from such countries as Nicaragua and El Salvador, among other places.”
Latino Victory Fund has some follow up questions for the President who postures as if stands with the people of Venezuela:
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Why is the Trump administration continuing to deport Venezuelans back to a country ruled by a ruthless dictator, essentially putting them in harm’s way?
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And why is Trump choosing not to protect the thousands of Venezuelans who live in the United States now by extending TPS?
President Trump and Florida Republicans think that their actions on Venezuela right now are going to translate to votes in 2020, but they’re very wrong to think that. People know that Venezuelans are being deported, and they know that the only way to protect them is by expanding TPS. Until then, Trump’s actions are meaningless.
