The migrant community trapped by Trump: We voted to remove Maduro from power, not to remove Venezuelans from the United States'

"Under normal circumstances, you would have seen 2,000 people here at Arepazo. When [former Venezuela president Hugo] Chavez died [in 2013], 2,500 came and blocked the streets. This shows that people despite the judge's decision aren't so sure. They say, I'd rather stay home; I'm not going to risk being caught by the police and thrown out of the country.' There's fear, says Jose Antonio Colina, president of Venezuelans Persecuted in Political Exile (VEPPEX)."

"The Trump administration has tried to strip them of Temporary Protected Status and has canceled humanitarian immigration programs that allowed hundreds of thousands to live and work legally in the country. U.S. authorities are detaining asylum seekers in immigration courts, while the official narrative associating Venezuelans with the Tren de Aragua criminal organization is stigmatizing them. At the same time, President Trump has gone on a war footing against the Nicolas Maduro regime:"

On September 6 a federal judge ruled Venezuelan immigrants could renew their Temporary Protected Status (TPS) in the United States. Only about twenty people gathered to celebrate outside Arepazo in Doral, a focal point of the largest Venezuelan enclave, reflecting fear of detention and deportation. Community members recall much larger gatherings in past years, illustrating current hesitancy. The Trump administration pursued ending TPS and canceled humanitarian immigration programs that had allowed hundreds of thousands to live and work legally. U.S. authorities are detaining asylum seekers, while official narratives linking Venezuelans to the Tren de Aragua criminal group stigmatize the diaspora. Concurrently, U.S. actions toward the Maduro regime have raised bilateral tensions.

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