The White House approved the postponement of deportations for some Venezuelans in a decision 11 hours earlier President Trump
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The White House said in a note released Tuesday that it approves deferred forced exit (DED) for Venezuelans. Recipients of the deferral will be able to live and work in the United States, similar to those protected under a state of temporary protection (TPS).
The note hammered the government of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, accusing it of corruption of producing “the worst humanitarian crisis in the Western Hemisphere in recent memory.”
“A catastrophic economic crisis and the shortage of commodities and medicines have forced nearly five million Venezuelans to flee the country, often in dangerous conditions,” the White House wrote in the note.
“The deteriorating situation in Venezuela, which poses a national security threat to the security and well-being of the American people, guarantees the postponement of the dismissal of Venezuelan nationals present in the United States.”
The new policy is a final blow against the Maduro regime from the White House, which has recognized opposition leader Juan Guaidó as interim president since 2019 after a 2018 presidential race won by Maduro, but that according to observers there was fraud.
It seems that Maduro remained closely in power after the elections, as an alarming humanitarian crisis, fueled by food and medicine shortages, worsened further and Western nations concentrated around Guaidó. However, he was finally able to hold the presidency, as the enthusiasm of the opposition faded and international attention was focused elsewhere.
The new policy differentiates deportations from “any Venezuelan national or foreigner without nationality who habitually resides in Venezuela for the last time, who is present in the United States as of January 20, 2021.”
Those not protected by the program include Venezuelans who have “voluntarily returned to Venezuela or their country from their last habitual residence outside the United States.” you have not lived continuously in the US; have been convicted of a felony or two or more misdemeanors; they are subject to extradition; the Secretary of Homeland Security “has determined that it is of no interest to the United States or presents a danger to public safety;” the secretary of state “has reasonable reason to believe it would have serious foreign policy consequences for the United States.”
The move was greeted with applause from some Republican lawmakers who long ago announced the need for the U.S. to take a stand against socialist dictatorships like Venezuela.
“We have a fundamental obligation to provide a safe haven for people fleeing tyranny and oppression. This act of solidarity provides our Venezuelan exiled community with the necessary guarantees during these unprecedented times,” said Representative Maria Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.). “I will never stop fighting for this just cause until Venezuela frees itself from Maduro’s murderous and socialist regime and becomes a prosperous and vibrant democracy that respects the rule of law.”