In Announcement For TPS For Venezuela, Biden Administration Does Not Mention Cuba. Is There A Message? Trump Administration Maintained Connectivity

United States Department of State
Washington DC
9 March 2021

Ned Price, Spokesperson

Excerpt:

Later today, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas will announce Venezuela’s designation for Temporary Protected Status, also known as TPS. This designation demonstrates the continuing support of the United States for the people of Venezuela.

To date, nearly 5.5 million Venezuelans have fled their homeland, while another seven million remain in chronic need of humanitarian aid. Nicolas Maduro’s repression, his corruption, and economic mismanagement have victimized these Venezuelans and produced this political and humanitarian crisis. Maduro’s willful neglect of his people, in a bid to remain in power, has created one of the hemisphere’s worst refugee and migration crises.

With this designation, we proudly join Colombia in their recent announcement to provide a similar status for vulnerable Venezuelans. The United States continues our leadership in the international effort to alleviate the suffering of the Venezuelan people. We provided nearly $529 million in regional humanitarian assistance in Fiscal Year 2020 in crisis response, and we welcome Spain’s recent financial commitment for the same. We encourage others to contribute.

We are proud to stand with these partners in both our commitment to democracy and the rule of law in Venezuela, as well as concrete action to help Venezuelans in need.

The White House
Washington DC
8 March 2021

Background Press Call by Senior Administration Officials on Venezuela
Via Teleconference

Excerpt:

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Thank you. Greetings to everyone from the National Security Council. My name is [senior administration official], and on behalf of the NSC press team, I would like to welcome our participants to an on-background conference call to discuss Venezuela.

You know, first of all, as a candidate, the President was the first democratic candidate to actually recognize Juan Guaidó as the legitimate leader of Venezuela and has been very clear that Nicolás Maduro is a dictator and that the May 2018 elections were fraudulent and illegitimate.

His approach to Venezuela has been -- has been fairly clear. Number one, he is going to underscore the importance of supporting the Venezuelan people inside and outside of the country by -- with robust humanitarian assistance, particularly to the countries in the region that have been impacted by the over 5 million Venezuelans that have fled their country.

Number two, he is committed to a robust multilateralism, meaning that we’re going to, as an administration, be working to increase the international consensus in favor of free and fair elections in Venezuela, and that we’re working with the international community to increase pressure in a coordinated fashion, and making clear that the only outcome of this crisis is a negotiation that leads to a democratic solution.

He has also made clear that -- and directed the administration to focus really on matters of human rights; to combat rampant corruption in the country; to go after every penny that has been stolen from the Venezuelan people by elements of the regime and its supporters; and to ensure that once Venezuela returns to democracy, that the United States is the first country in line to help rebuild. So, as part of that approach, we moved very quickly to grant Temporary Protected Status.

United States Department of State
Washington DC
8 March 2021

Press Briefing
Ned Price, Spokesperson

Excerpt:

QUESTION: Staying in Latin America, is it fair to say that the Biden administration is pursuing regime change in Venezuela?

MR PRICE: It is fair to say that the Biden administration supports the democratic aspirations of the people of Venezuela. Our overriding goal is to support a peaceful democratic transition in Venezuela through free and fair presidential and parliamentary elections, and to help the Venezuelan people rebuild their lives and their country.
We know at the root of much of the misery and the suffering of the people of Venezuela stands one individual, and we have been very clear that Nicolas Maduro is a dictator. His actions have not been in the best interests of the people of Venezuela. It hasn’t just been the United States that has been saying that. It has been the United States and many of our closest partners both in the region and well beyond.

QUESTION: So it’s basically – it’s basically a nicer way of saying Maduro must go?

MR PRICE: We believe and we support the democratic aspirations of the people of Venezuela. That is why we are committed to supporting the people through humanitarian measures and also targeting regime officials and their cronies involved in human rights abuses and corruption.

Department of Homeland Security
Washington DC
8 March 2021

New Designation Allows Eligible Venezuelans to Apply for TPS and Employment Authorization Documents

WASHINGTON—Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas is designating Venezuela for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 18 months, until September 2022. This new designation of TPS for Venezuela enables Venezuelan nationals (and individuals without nationality who last resided in Venezuela) currently residing in the United States to file initial applications for TPS, so long as they meet eligibility requirements.

This designation is due to extraordinary and temporary conditions in Venezuela that prevent nationals from returning safely, including a complex humanitarian crisis marked by widespread hunger and malnutrition, a growing influence and presence of non-state armed groups, repression, and a crumbling infrastructure. TPS can be extended to a country with conditions that fall into one, or more, of the three statutory bases for designation: ongoing armed conflict, environmental disasters, or extraordinary and temporary conditions.

“The living conditions in Venezuela reveal a country in turmoil, unable to protect its own citizens,” said Secretary Mayorkas. “It is in times of extraordinary and temporary circumstances like these that the United States steps forward to support eligible Venezuelan nationals already present here, while their home country seeks to right itself out of the current crises.”

Only individuals who can demonstrate continuous residence in the United States as of March 8, 2021 are eligible for TPS under Venezuela’s designation. For their own health and safety, individuals should not believe smugglers or others claiming the border is now open. Due to the pandemic, travel and admission restrictions at the border remain in place.

Individuals desiring TPS must file an application with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services within the 180-day registration period. They may also apply for Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) and for travel authorization. All individuals applying for TPS undergo security and background checks as part of determining eligibility. More details about the eligibility criteria to submit an initial TPS application and apply for an EAD can be found in the Federal Register Notice (FRN).

The FRN also provides information about Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) for Venezuelan nationals and how individuals may apply for DED-related EADs, based on the January 19, 2021, presidential memorandum establishing DED for Venezuelan nationals for 18 months, through July 20, 2022. Individuals who apply for and receive TPS and who are also covered by DED do not need to apply for Employment Authorization Documentations under both programs. USCIS encourages individuals who believe they are eligible for TPS to apply during the initial registration period announced in the FRN, even if they are also covered by DED, in case they cannot qualify for TPS late initial filing after DED has expired.