ORLANDO, Fla. – Venezuelan organizations from across the country are convening in Orlando this week.
The second annual summer is happening the Trump administration seeks to eliminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Venezuelans and resume deportations of alleged Venezuelan gang members.
William Diaz, founder of Casa de Venezuela, expressed his concerns about the current climate surrounding Venezuelans in the U.S.
“I have 36 years in this country. This is the first time in my life that I go with this, with this in my pocket,” he said as he pulled out his U.S. passport.
In February, the Department of Homeland Security vacated TPS for Venezuelans, leaving hundreds of thousands in fear of deportation. However, a judge blocked the order last week.
“The Trump administration could appeal that decision and then it could go up to the Supreme Court. Is that something you are anticipating will happen?” News 6 reporter Stephanie Rodriguez asked Diaz.
“Oh, absolutely,” he replied. “That’s why we are calling right now to a few members of Congress that have been vocal and saying a lot of things in support of Venezuelans, that they protect us. We want them to be direct and tell President Trump to stop the intentions to appeal the decision.”
Ninety-three Venezuelan organizations are gathering for a summit this week at First Baptist Orlando to discuss ways to tackle TPS and other issues facing Venezuelans.
“We need to clean the image of the Venezuelan community,” Diaz said.
The future of TPS remains uncertain, as does the president’s push to deport alleged Venezuelan gang members. Last month, 238 Venezuelan migrants were sent to a maximum-security prison in El Salvador under the Alien Enemies Act.
Last month during an interview with CBS, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, affirmed the administration’s commitment to deporting alleged Venezuelan members of the Tren de Aragua gang.
“This group is acting as a terrorist organization. It is terrorizing our communities through attacks, torture, rape, and the most awful of situations for those communities,” Waltz said. “President Trump is taking decisive action to rid our communities of these gangs that are operating in a paramilitary fashion...”
On Wednesday, a judge issued a restraining order to temporarily block the effort to restart deportations. Venezuelan advocates say they are fighting for the release of their criminal history.
“There is no one piece of evidence that shows that those persons have committed a crime or felony. I am not saying that they are not, what I am saying is that there is no evidence that actually proves that any of them are Tren De Aragua,” Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Venezuelan American Caucus Adelys Ferro said. “All we are asking for them is due process; we want justice to be served.”