Doral Mayor Seeks Solutions to 'Harsh' Trump Decision Ending Protections

Venezuelan refugees who are fearing a forced return to their country are feeling the repercussions of immigration policies set by the previous administration, Doral Mayor Christi Fraga tells New Times.

Fraga was referring to a Monday Supreme Court decision to suspend the temporary protected status (TPS) of about 350,000 Venezuelans living in the United States. While Fraga, an ardent supporter of President Donald Trump, described the move as "harsh" in an interview with New Times, she says she understands his heavy-handed approach to immigration.

The issue is flat-out frightening for many in Doral, a city with one of the largest concentrations of Venezuelans in the U.S. Fraga, a child of Cuban exiles and a Republican who has largely supported all Trump decisions on immigration, says she's torn — she's sympathetic to Venezuelans fleeing a dictatorship, but also concerned about maintaining law and order at the border.

"I don't necessarily agree with this stance," Fraga says. "I do agree our border needs to be secure. But our asylum system has been abused for a very long time.

"I do believe President Trump has the right eye to fix it."

Fraga notes that she believes most Venezuelans who sought TPS are hardworking individuals who want to improve their lives and those of their families.

Trump is trying to punish those who have taken advantage of TPS, but "people are being negatively affected that shouldn't fall into that category," says Fraga. "This is a harsh decision, and it does put everybody in a bind."

She adds that Venezuelans in Doral are afraid to leave their homes, even if they're going to work.

The Secretary of Homeland Security runs TPS, which offers a temporary stay in the United States to refugees fleeing their countries for war, environmental disasters, and other "extraordinary and temporary conditions," according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

Former President Joe Biden first granted protections to Venezuelans in March 2021 because rampant violence, inflation, gang warfare, soaring crime rates, and shortages of essential goods forced more than 600,000 Venezuelans to the U.S.

Monday's decision means Homeland Security could revoke the protected status for Venezuelans living in the U.S. on September 10, according to USCIS.

"There are so many unanswered questions," Fraga says. "It's so fluid that we don't know what to tell people. I don't think TPS should have been widely revoked without having another solution in place for law-abiding applicants."

There is one question Fraga and her Republican colleagues at the federal level seem to know the answer to: Is Venezuela safe for refugees to return?

No, Fraga tells New Times.

According to a joint statement, Congressmen Carlos Giménez, Mario Díaz-Balart, and Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar, all Republicans, asked for a meeting with Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem to find alternative solutions for Venezuelans here under TPS.

"Unfortunately, decent, hardworking Venezuelans who have integrated into our South Florida communities and contributed to the economic prosperity of our great country are paying the price for President Biden's negligence and false promises when he opened up the southern border to millions," it reads.

"There is a clear distinction between individuals, such as members of the Tren de Aragua who exploited Biden's open border and wreaked havoc on American communities, and the many Venezuelans who have arrived in our country, fleeing the political crises under the repressive dictatorship of Maduro with legitimate claims of persecution."

The representatives say they support TPS for Venezuelans and want a case-by-case review of each individual to see who legitimately warrants the protections.