"Time for action." Venezuelan, Haitian communities in Miami fear Trump's immigration crackdown
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Deportation fears are acute in Doral, where 40% of the city is of Venezuelan descent. Photo: D.A. Varela/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images
The Trump administration's immigration crackdown is sparking fear among members of Miami's Venezuelan and Haitian communities, some of whom could be deported if their humanitarian protections end.
The big picture: Greater Miami is home to the largest Venezuelan and Haitian diasporas in the U.S.
- Hundreds of thousands have fled earthquakes and gang violence in Haiti and resource shortages and arbitrary arrests in Venezuela.
Catch up quick: The Trump administration moved to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 350,000 Venezuelan citizens effective April 7, though a judge temporarily suspended the order on Monday.
- Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem announced an end to humanitarian parole for citizens of Haiti, Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua, which would take effect later this month.
- Noem is also curtailing TPS protections for about 500,000 Haitian citizens, which will expire in August instead of early 2026.
What they're saying: In Doral, where 40% of the city is of Venezuelan descent, Councilmember Maureen Porras tells Axios that TPS holders are business owners, employees and breadwinners for their families.
- If their protections expire, she worries the city could "come to a halt."
- "I'm seeing already some folks that have been not showing up to their jobs, some parents are very scared to take their kids to school, and I've also heard about residents here in Doral who have been picked up by ICE."
The intrigue: Doral helped carry Trump to an electoral victory in Miami-Dade County last November, with his support in the city jumping 23 percentage points between 2020 and 2024, per the Miami Herald.
- There's a divide among Venezuelan Americans here who believe Trump will reverse course on his TPS order and those who have given up hope, per CNN.
- "I supported him, but it disappointed us that he decided to end TPS," resident Noel Ginestra, whose sister has TPS, told CNN. "It bothered us that he put everyone in the same bucket."
At Notre Dame d'Haiti Catholic Church in Little Haiti, the Associated Press reports that some congregants also voted for Trump, saying recent arrivals were a strain on local resources.
- But most congregants want to help their compatriots, AP reported.
- "What a heavy burden, being told you're no longer allowed in a country that welcomed you," Jean Souffrant, who leads the church's services hub, told the news wire.
Porras, a former Democrat who switched to the Republican party after Trump's victory, says TPS is not a partisan issue.
- South Florida Republican Reps. Maria Elvira Salazar, Mario Diaz-Balart and Carlos Gimenez have said they're trying to change Trump's mind on revoking TPS for Venezuelans.
- The all-Republican Doral Council passed a resolution last month urging Congress to provide a pathway to permanent residency for eligible Venezuelans, but local leaders have been careful not to provoke a confrontation with Trump, the Herald has reported.
- "I have spoken to many residents who do feel disheartened by what's happening, but they're not taking their support from the president," Porras says.
The other side: Adelys Ferro, executive director of the Venezuelan American Caucus, tells Axios she hopes to see representatives do more.
- "Calling [Trump] out and standing up for us is important," she said. "But I think the time for action is coming. I expect the ones that really support us to put their actions where their words are and join us in this protest."