DHS encourages Venezuelans in the US to go home ‘to the country they love’ now that Maduro is gone

The Department of Homeland Security pushed back Thursday against claims that Venezuelan migrants are being encouraged to apply for refugee status in the United States, stating instead that hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans can now return home following major policy changes under President Donald Trump.

The clarification came after an online post by Leading Report claimed that Venezuelans could apply to become refugees in the US, citing remarks attributed to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. DHS publicly rejected that characterization, calling it inaccurate.

“This is not what Secretary Noem said,” DHS wrote in a statement posted to X. “President Trump is bringing stability to Venezuela and bringing to justice an illegitimate narco-terrorist dictator who stole from his own people.”

According to DHS, Secretary Noem has formally ended Temporary Protected Status for more than 500,000 Venezuelans who had been allowed to remain in the US under the program. The department said those individuals are now expected to return to Venezuela.

“Secretary Noem ended Temporary Protected Status for more than 500,000 Venezuelans and now they can go home to a country that they love,” DHS said.

Temporary Protected Status was initially extended to Venezuelans due to political instability, economic collapse, and security concerns under the government of Nicolás Maduro. The Trump administration has argued that conditions in the country have fundamentally changed, making the program no longer necessary.

DHS framed the policy shift as part of a broader effort to restore regional stability and reverse what it describes as years of failed immigration enforcement. The department emphasized that the administration is no longer offering blanket humanitarian protections based on prior conditions.