{"id":37868,"date":"2025-11-07T21:19:41","date_gmt":"2025-11-07T21:19:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/37868\/"},"modified":"2025-11-07T21:19:41","modified_gmt":"2025-11-07T21:19:41","slug":"doral-mayor-speaks-on-venezuelan-residents-deportation-fears","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/37868\/","title":{"rendered":"Doral Mayor Speaks on Venezuelan Residents’ Deportation Fears"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\"\"
\n\t\t\t\t\t\tThe scene outside the Consulate General of Venezuela in downtown Miami as residents protested the allegedly rigged re-election of President Nicolas Maduro.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

Photo by Joe Raedle\/Getty Images<\/a><\/p>\n

As Donald Trump threatens to wage war against Venezuela, Venezuelan refugees<\/a> in the Sunshine State have new reason to fear for their own safety. That\u2019s because the Trump administration on Friday officially ended Temporary Protected Status (TPS)<\/a> for more than 600,000 Venezuelan refugees, most of whom live in South Florida \u2014 and Doral<\/a> in particular.<\/p>\n

In light of the new developments and Doral\u2019s unique place in Venezuelan-American culture, New Times asked the city\u2019s mayor, Christi Fraga<\/a>, to share her reaction to this turning point. <\/p>\n

\u201cAs the daughter of immigrants who fled an oppressive regime in search of safety and opportunity, it\u2019s incredibly difficult for me to reconcile how one arm of our government can say Venezuela is stable, while the other continues to recognize it as a narco-totalitarian dictatorship,\u201d Fraga writes in a statement emailed to New Times earlier today. \u201cThe reality on the ground tells a clear story: Venezuela is still in a deep humanitarian crisis. Families there face prosecution, extreme poverty, and political repression.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor many who sought refuge here, being told they must return to those conditions is difficult and heartbreaking. Until there is a legitimate transition of power and a restoration of basic freedoms, many Venezuelans rightfully remain fearful for their lives.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWe all agree that border security and proper vetting are essential; criminals should be and have been deported,\u201d Fraga\u2019s statement continues. \u201cBut families who have built their lives here, who contribute positively to our community, are paying a heavy price for years of inconsistent immigration policy and open borders of the previous administration. It\u2019s a deeply human tragedy that should transcend politics.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fraga\u2019s support for Trump and his immigration policies began to waver<\/a> earlier this year when threats to end TPS arose under his second term.<\/p>\n

Immigration Activist Urges Calm<\/p>\n

Friday\u2019s end to TPS for more than half a million Venezuelan refugees doesn\u2019t necessarily translate to an instant putsch by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, notes Florida Immigrant Coalition policy analyst and activist Thomas Kennedy<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey are on a government list, but I don\u2019t want to panic anybody by saying the government is going to target these people,\u201d Kennedy tells New Times. <\/p>\n

Still, Kennedy adds, the threat of deportation is very real for Venezuelan refugees who just lost TPS. \u201cThey could be asked to show up for an ICE check-in and get detained. But they\u2019re most likely to be detained by one of the deputized departments like highway patrol, who are extremely zealous.\u201d<\/p>\n

Doral Is a Hub of Venezuelan-American Life<\/p>\n

Fraga notes that a large majority of Doral\u2019s Venezuelan residents have been here for years. Many are permanent residents, green card holders, or citizens.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a deep sense of uncertainty and sadness in our community today,\u201d she writes in her statement. \u201cMany of these families have been living productive, law-abiding lives for years. They pay taxes, contribute to our economy, and are raising children who know no other home. To now face the possibility of being uprooted and sent back to a country still in turmoil is incredibly difficult to accept.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s most heartbreaking is the fear you see in their faces, parents worried for their children\u2019s future, families unsure of what comes next. And, as mayor, it\u2019s painful to see that fear and know there\u2019s little I can personally do to change their circumstances.\u201d<\/p>\n

The mayor added that and it\u2019s typically not those directly at risk of deportation who come to her office in tears.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s their loved ones, mothers, grandparents, business owners, and friends who depend on them,\u201d she writes. \u201cThese are families being torn apart, human beings who love this country, believe in freedom, and simply want the chance to continue living in peace.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The scene outside the Consulate General of Venezuela in downtown Miami as residents protested the allegedly rigged re-election…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":37869,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[2152,2161,225,227,226,2908],"class_list":{"0":"post-37868","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-hialeah","8":"tag-development","9":"tag-government","10":"tag-hialeah","11":"tag-hialeah-headlines","12":"tag-hialeah-news","13":"tag-national-spotlight"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37868","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=37868"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37868\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/37869"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37868"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=37868"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=37868"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}