Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Sunday that Venezuelans who lost temporary protection from deportation could apply to gain refugee status, a path the agency she oversees has since acknowledged isn’t possible.
Following the U.S. capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, Noem said in an interview with Fox News that Venezuela was freer after his removal.
As for the more than 600,000 Venezuelans in the U.S. who are at risk of deportation after Noem ended their Temporary Protected Status designation last year, “every individual that was under TPS has the opportunity to apply for refugee status, and that evaluation will go forward,” the secretary said.