Democratic New York Attorney General Letitia James, along with a coalition of 17 state attorneys general, announced a legal challenge Friday against the Trump administration’s decision to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Venezuelans.
The plaintiffs filed an amicus brief in federal court challenging the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) decision to terminate TPS for Venezuelans. The program, established by Congress in 1990, provides temporary protection and work authorization to individuals deemed unsafe due to conflict, disaster or extraordinary conditions. In 2021, Congress extended this designation to Venezuelan nationals.
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Joining James in filing the brief were the attorneys general of Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington and the District of Columbia.
More than 600,000 Venezuelans currently reside in the U.S. under TPS, according to the amicus brief. Additionally, over 130,000 American citizens live in mixed-status households, meaning at least one family member relies on TPS protections. The attorneys general argue the termination would inflict irreparable harm by stripping them of their “ability to legally work” and exposing them to deportation.
They also argue ending TPS protections would “substantially harm Amici States’ economies by depleting their workforces and depriving them of considerable tax revenue,” citing a 75% workforce participation rate among TPS-eligible Venezuelans.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem defended her Feb. 1 termination of Venezuela’s TPS designation on national security grounds, claiming Venezuelan TPS recipients included members of the Tren de Aragua criminal gang.
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Among such Venezuelan migrants is José Antonio Ibarra, who was confirmed during his trial and sentencing to be a Tren de Aragua member. Ibarra was convicted of murdering University of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley.
The court has yet to set a date for oral arguments in this case. The brief was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.
* Original Article:
https://dailycaller.com/2025/03/07/attorneys-general-letitia-james-venezuelans-temporary-protected-status-tps/