Secretary Mayorkas Designates Temporary Protected Status for Venezuelan Refugees
In response to the large number of refugees fleeing dangerous conditions in Venezuela, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas has upgraded Venezuelan refugees to Temporary Protected Status (TPS) until September 2022. This status allows refugees who have been continuously living in the United States since March 8, 2021 the ability to live and work in the country for an extended period of time. [i, ii, iii, iv]
We assess that the Temporary Protected Status designation will alleviate resource strain on the United States and Latin American nations caused by the Venezuelan refugee crisis. The refugee crisis has created a drain on resources for Venezuela’s bordering nations, as well as a widespread lack of access to basic humanitarian needs within refugee camps. We further assess that the designation will allow refugees to access the medical, economic, and social resources not previously available in their home country.
[ii, iv, v, vi]
An estimated total of 5.4 million refugees fled Venezuela over the course of the crisis. Projections approximate as many as 7 million refugees may likely leave the country in the next few years. [iv, v]
The Venezuelan refugee crisis has not received as much international funding and attention as similar modern crises. The average aid to each Venezuelan refugee is about $125, which is much less than the average aid to other refugees. Syrian refugees, for example, have received an average of $1,500 in aid. [v]
The COVID-19 pandemic has slowed Venezuelan emigration, but has also made finding safe living environments more difficult for existing refugees. [vi]
Over 50 percent of Venezuelan asylum applications have been denied in the last several years. Applications for Temporary Protected Status only require proof of residency and a criminal background check, so it is likely that many more Venezuelans will be able to reside temporarily in the United States without having to meet the stricter asylum guidelines. [ii]
We assess that the decision to offer temporary legal residency to Venezuelans under Temporary Protected Status marks the beginning of a move by the Biden administration to put pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. The administration is in the process of re-evaluating and altering sanctions and immigration policies put in place by the Trump administration. Through large-scale, internationally visible policies like the Temporary Protected Status designation, the Biden administration seeks to compel Maduro to return Venezuela to democratic processes. [iv]
The administration is assessing whether the hardline sanctions against Venezuela levied by the Trump administration are truly helping pressure Maduro, or if they are unfairly harming the Venezuelan population. [iv]
The United States, along with many Western nations such as France and the United Kingdom, continues to recognize Juan Guaidó as the legitimate president of Venezuela. [iv]
Sources
[i] . Department of Homeland Security. “Secretary Mayorkas Designates Venezuela for Temporary Protected Status for 18 Months.” Department of Homeland Security. 8 March 2021 https://www.dhs.gov/news/2021/03/08/secretary-mayorkas-designates-venezuela -temporary-protected-status-18-months
[ii]. Cano, Regina Garcia, and Salomon, Gisela. “Venezuelans overjoyed by US temporary residence opportunity.” AP. 9 March 2021 https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-miami-immigration-coronavirus-pandemic-ve nezuela-852fb0bf8129b61249ef96d987cc26e5
[iii]. The White House. “U.S. Department of Homeland Security: Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas Designates Venezuela for Temporary Protected Status for 18 Months.” The White House. 8 March 2021. https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/03/08/u-s-d epartment-of-homeland-security-secretary-mayorkas-designates-venezuela-for-te mporary-protected-status-for-18-months/
[iv]. Spetalnick, Matt. “Biden grants temporary protected status to Venezuelans in U.S. who fled country’s turmoil.” Reuters. 8 March 2021. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-usa/biden-grants-temporary-protect ed-status-to-venezuelans-in-u-s-who-fled-countrys-turmoil-idUSKBN2B02H9
[v]. Bahar, Danny, and Dooley, Meagan. “Venezuela refugee crisis to become the largest and most underfunded in modern history.” The Brookings Institute. 9 December 2019. https://www.brookings.edu/blog/up-front/2019/12/09/venezuela-refugee-crisis-to become-the-largest-and-most-underfunded-in-modern-history/
[vi]. Organization of American States. “New Report Warns Number of Venezuelan Refugees and Migrants could Rise to 7 million in 2021.” Organization of American States. 30 December 2020. https://www.oas.org/en/media_center/press_release.asp?sCodigo=E-128/20
