The Venezuelans left in limbo by new US immigration plan
The US government is trying to speed up the deportation of Venezuelan refugees who have resettled in the country. With the exception of people with dual nationality, the new policy could allow for the deportation of Venezuelans who have lived in the US for decades. The government is facing a high number of applications for political asylum, so many Venezuelans have decided to resettle in the US instead.
With over 800,000 Venezuelans living in the US, many have decided that the move is a way to avoid the political turmoil they would face were they forced to return to their country. If deported, they would be eligible for asylum.
Over the past few decades, many Venezuelans have decided that the US is a good place to live, but those who have lived here more than a decade are worried that the government is planning to deport them. The government has been scrambling to speed up the deportation of Venezuelans who have come into the US as refugees.
Venezuelan migrant who resettled in United States
The US is already home to a number of Venezuelan nationals. The country has a large community of Venezuelan nationals who have been living in the US for at least a decade. The US also has a large community of Venezuelans who have left the country and have not been able to bring their families with them.
In an effort to speed up the deportation of Venezuelans who have made the US their living situation, the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA) has announced they are working with the US government. The Department of Homeland Security has issued a memo to its employees, which states that anyone who has entered the US as a refugee or as a non-immigrant under the Visa Waiver Program can be targeted for deportation.
“Venezuelans who have arrived as refugees in the United States since March 2003 and have not yet been granted asylum will be subject to expedited removal through this proposed policy,” reads the memo.
Venezuelan government does not grant refugees
President Maduro is reportedly