On February 1, 2025, Kristi Noem, the Secretary of Homeland Security announced that the 2023 Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation for Venezuela would be terminated on April 7th, 2025. On Monday, March 31st, one week before the designation would officially expire, U.S. District Judge Edward Chen paused the termination.
Judge Chen blocked the termination on grounds that there is insufficient evidence to show that maintaining Venezuela’s TPS designation would be detrimental to the United States. In a 78-page order, Judge Chen expressed his position that Noem and President Trump’s termination of Venezuela’s TPS was racially motivated and based on false statements. The harm that the TPS designation termination would cause on individuals and families would have been extensive, as 350,000 Venezuelans would have been required to leave the United States by next week if the termination had been carried out.
Judge Chen has given the government a 7-day window to file a notice of appeal which would initiate the process of contesting the order. Additionally, plaintiffs were given the same timeframe to file for a pause on Haiti’s TPS designation termination, expiring on August 3rd, 2025.
Important: The order to terminate Venezuela’s 2023 TPS designation has no bearing on its 2021 TPS designation, which is set to expire September 10th, 2025.
We will keep you updated. If you have any questions, contact us and we would be happy to speak with you.