Adelys Ferro, director of the Venezuelan American Caucus: ‘What the United States is doing to Venezuelans is a great injustice’

The Supreme Court’s recent ruling, which lifted the temporary ban imposed by a federal judge in California to protect 350,000 Venezuelans with Temporary Protected Status (TPS) while the trial over the program’s elimination proceeds, has left thousands of migrants who fled Nicolás Maduro’s regime at risk of deportation.

The community is still digesting the news, which initially affects a third of the entire diaspora in the country, but could reach more than half if next July — as expected — the benefit is not renewed for the 250,000 Venezuelans who received TPS in 2021.

Adelys Ferro, director of the Venezuelan American Caucus, who has been leading the legal and moral defense of Venezuelans since Donald Trump returned to the White House, spoke by phone with EL PAÍS about the consequences of the court ruling and the actions she and other diasporas will take from now on, amid fears this could mark the beginning of the end of TPS in the United States.

Question. In a social media post, you said that among all the bad things happening, this was the least bad. What did you mean by that?

Answer. The Supreme Court could have ruled that the California federal judge (Edward Chen) lacked jurisdiction to rule on the continuation of TPS or override Secretary [Kristi] Noem‘s order. Had this occurred, it would have ended the possibility of the trial continuing. The problem is that the beneficiaries are left without protection until this entire legal process is completed.

Q. So right now the 350,000 affected Venezuelans are vulnerable to deportation.

A. I’m going to answer this question as an activist, but lawyers would agree with me. As long as the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) website isn’t updated, people will continue to have status, but the change will come at any moment (in fact, the update occurred Wednesday night). We need information, but what we fear is that thousands of people will be left without legal status and, with it, without work permits and without driver’s licenses. We don’t know if they will be sent a notice to leave the country, as already happened with the migrants who had humanitarian parole. We are waiting, but if someone were detained, they cannot be deported overnight; they will be able to fight their case in immigration court.

Q. You say the legal battle will continue in court. When might the final decision come?

A. The trial is ongoing, and we’re very hopeful of winning, but it could take months or years. I’m not going to lie. Once we get the final verdict, there will be an appeals period, and the case could return to the Supreme Court. That’s why we filed the emergency motion in the federal court in California, so that the beneficiaries would be protected until a final decision was made, but sadly, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Trump administration.

Q. What actions will you take from now on?

A. We are coordinating with allied organizations and diasporas. We are going to apply pressure on the legislative front because Congress could change this, although it is quite difficult due to the composition of the House (with a Republican majority), but that doesn’t mean we will stop trying. We are going to make a lot of noise in Washington, and we will use all the tools the Constitution gives us to defend our people. What is being done to Venezuelans is a great injustice.

Q. Miami-Dade’s Democratic Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and Doral’s independent Mayor Christi Fraga spoke out against the decision.

A. Mayor Fraga expressed her concern, and we appreciate it, but she did so after signing an agreement with ICE to coordinate efforts and detain immigrants. Considering that 40% of that city’s residents are Venezuelan, we will be the most harmed by her decision. For her part, Mayor Levine has been more consistent and has given us unconditional support. She has shown herself completely in favor of immigrants because we are a fundamental part of the city, especially Venezuelans. In any case, this is not a time for words. What hundreds of thousands of Venezuelan families are suffering cannot be fixed with statements; it can only be corrected with real actions and support. We know that the Trump administration will not respond to any of these requests, even those coming from within its own party, but we need them to demystify the matrix of opinion that has been created against us.

Q. What do you think the fate of TPS for the rest of the migrant communities will be?

A. This opens the door to something truly devastating: the elimination of TPS for all countries. Without a doubt, the other 16 countries with Temporary Protected Status need to join the fight because that’s what’s coming.

Q. What is your recommendation for the thousands of families who already have roots in the country and cannot return to Venezuela due to political persecution?

A. The struggle continues. Everyone who doesn’t have other legal statuses should seek out an immigration lawyer to explore their options. Some may be able to apply for asylum, but each case is different. They need to seek advice.

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