Looks like Trump really wants to piss off a group of people that reliably vote for him, because he is revoking the temporary protected status for over 500,000 people that come from a group that typically vote Republican – Cuban and Venezuelan migrants.
NBC is reporting that the move ends temporary legal status for more than 530,000 people from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela. They were granted this protection by President Biden prior to his term ending and the program is set to expire on April 24th. People who were granted the ability to stay in the U.S. have been told that they “must depart the United States before their parole termination date.”
Homeland Security Secretary Barbie Puppy Killer Noem wrote that this termination fulfills Trump’s order to get rid of all the immigrants he doesn’t like and “complements and underscores the Administration’s pivot to a foreign policy that prioritizes the United States’ interests in a secure border.”
She went on to say that “These programs do not serve a significant public benefit, are not necessary to reduce levels of illegal immigration, did not sufficiently mitigate the domestic effects of illegal immigration, are not serving their intended purposes, and are inconsistent with the Administration’s foreign policy goals.”
DHS will “remove” people who entered the U.S. under this program and do not leave before April 24th.
The Biden era program wasn’t a free-for-all for migrants. They were required to go through a rigorous application process, complete a background check and have a financial sponsor. They also received a work authorization. The program started for
Venezuelans in 2022, expanding to Nicaraguans, Haitians and Cubans.
As a reminder, Cuban Americans are the only Hispanic group that voted overwhelmingly for Donald Trump, with reports showing that they preferred him 58% to Kamala Harris at 40%. It will be interesting to see how Cuban Americans who voted for Trump will feel about this.
Read the announcement here.
