The Trump administration has ended extended protections granted to thousands of Venezuelans in the United States and is in talks to repatriate them, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Wednesday, adding that using Guantanamo Bay had not been ruled out.
Noem said the Department of Homeland Security would not follow a Biden-era move that gave Venezuelans in the Temporary Protected Status program an additional 18 months of deportation relief and access to work permits, confirming in a televised interview: "We stopped that."
"We are going to follow the process, evaluate all of these individuals that are in our country, including the Venezuelans that are here," she added without giving any other details.
Noem said the State Department is still working with other countries about taking their citizens back and that "the president clearly will exercise all the authority and power that he has to make these countries take them back."
Asked whether use of the Guantanamo Bay detention center in Cuba had been ruled out, Noem said: "We're evaluating and talking about that right now. So – President's decision, but it's an asset, and we're going to continue to look at how we can use all of our assets to keep America safe."
President Donald Trump took office Jan. 20 vowing to crack down on illegal immigration and humanitarian programs that he says go beyond the intent of U.S. law. The Republican tried to end most TPS enrollment during his first term but was stymied by federal courts.
TPS is available to people whose home country has experienced a natural disaster, armed conflict or other extraordinary event.
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