Doral Mayor Responds to Removal of Venezuelan Temporary Protected Status

A Monday U.S. Supreme Court decision to suspend the temporary protected status (TPS) of about 350,000 Venezuelans has stirred anxiety and fear throughout the state.

That's especially true in places like Doral, which has a large percentage of Venezuelan-born residents. Mayor Christi Fraga responded Monday night and issued a statement calling for calm in her community.

"The Supreme Court's decision to uphold the suspension of TPS protections has understandably raised concerns, especially here in Doral — home to many Venezuelans," Fraga wrote in a statement posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. "While immigration is a matter handled at the federal level, I have been in direct contact with our federal representatives to advocate for the law-abiding, productive members of our society, who have fled a brutal regime seeking safety and the opportunity to rebuild a better future for their families in the place they now call home."

Fraga, a daughter of Cuban exiles, has a history of supporting President Donald Trump and his immigration policies.

She also supported the Trump Organization's efforts to erect several 20-story high-rise towers and retail buildings in project at the National Doral Resort, a decision that concerned others.

Monday's decision, which followed a request from Trump's office, pauses a ruling by a federal judge in San Francisco that blocked the Trump administration from terminating the protections.

TPS is a system run by the Secretary of Homeland Security that 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 effectively means Homeland Security could revoke the protected status for hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans living in the country on September 10, according to USCIS.

"We understand the concern and anxiety many are feeling," Fraga said in her statement. "In this moment, we call for calm and reassurance. We now turn to Congress for real, long-term solutions that address this issue more permanently.

"This remains a developing situation. My focus and priority continues to be in providing our community with timely, accurate information and access to resources as more details become available."

Editor's note: Fraga stopped short of opining on the ordeal in her statement, but she expanded upon her thoughts in a subsequent interview with New Times.