Fate of Venezuelan migrants in US remains uncertain following Maduro's capture

The unprecedented capture and transfer of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife by US forces to New York have drawn mixed global reactions as Venezuela faces an uncertain future. Many Venezuelans who emigrated abroad have been celebrating his fall, but the fate of hundreds of thousands of Venezuelan migrants in the United States remains in limbo, with President Donald Trump’s hard line on migration and deportations seemingly unchanged. 

Venezuelans across many US cities and elsewhere have been cheering the US military action that resulted in Maduro’s capture, though many remain unsure about their own status amid ongoing migration policy debates, as CNN explores in their latest article.

The relationship between the Trump administration and the Venezuelan community has been turbulent in recent years, CNN and other outlets note, particularly around immigration enforcement. While Trump’s tough stance on government abuses in Venezuela helped boost his support among voters in South Florida in 2024, where many Venezuelans reside, his push to deport irregular migrants was seen by many as a “betrayal,” according to CNN. 

Critics say many Venezuelans in the US and beyond remain deeply concerned about the government still operating in Caracas and what might happen if the Trump administration moves forward with deportations. 

“There could be progress. We don’t know when. We don’t know if there will be progress. But what we know is what we’re living in the present time and it looks ridiculously bad for anyone to go to Venezuela right now,” said Adelys Ferro, executive director of the Venezuelan American Caucus. “The uncertainty is huge and bigger than ever — and the desperation is something that I can’t even explain.” 

The Trump administration has signalled its intent to continue deporting Venezuelans, including by referencing the Alien Enemies Act in a recent court filing, citing the Justice Department’s indictment against Maduro to justify the use of the wartime authority, which is tied up in ongoing litigation. 

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has said that decisions on immigration programmes benefiting Venezuelans have not changed following Maduro’s capture. “Secretary Noem ended Temporary Protected Status for more than 500,000 Venezuelans,” the Department of Homeland Security stated in a social media post, “and now they can go home to a country that they love.” 

US Citizenship and Immigration Services spokesman Matthew Tragesser reiterated that “the posture has not changed: USCIS encourages all Venezuelans unlawfully in the US to use the CBP Home app for help with a safe and orderly return to their country. As always, USCIS will continue to process asylum and refugee requests in accordance with existing law and official policy updates.” 

The instability in Venezuela in recent years has fuelled a massive refugee crisis, with nearly 7.9 million Venezuelans displaced globally, with about 10% of whom are estimated to have arrived in the United States.

By Nazrin Sadigova