Venezuelans, Haitians in Chicago Confront Deportation: ‘People Are in Shock’

Fresh dough and the unmistakable aroma of Venezuelan arepas fill the walls of one vibrant restaurant in a Northside Chicago neighborhood.

Decorated with red, orange and blue flowers and photos, the eatery buzzes with laughter and the warmth of a community thousands of miles from home. From a speaker, music blares a mix of Venezuelan and other Latin American countries’ songs such as Joropo, Gaita, Bachata and Salsa.

This restaurant is a celebration of Venezuelan food and culture. Owner Fabián said it took him six years to open the restaurant. His last name is kept confidential due to the risk of deportation.

“I have started from scratch working in the kitchen as a dishwasher, kitchen assistant, office cleaner, and construction worker to save up and open my business,” Fabián said.

Now, he says his restaurant symbolizes what’s at stake amid President Donald Trump’s continued attacks against legal protections for immigrants like Fabián.

Last month, the Supreme Court allowed President Donald Trump’s administration to revoke the legal status of hundreds of thousands of immigrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela. The decision sent shockwaves to Fabián and others across the country, anxiously awaiting an update on their legal protections. The Supreme Court ruling, which paused a lower court decision that kept Temporary Protected Status (TPS) alive, has now cleared the way for the federal government to resume deportations.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) celebrated the move as “a victory for the American people.” A DHS spokesperson accused the Biden administration of “lying” to America by allowing “more than half a million poorly vetted aliens from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela and their immediate family members to enter the United States through these disastrous parole programs.”

But the decision marked a terrifying new chapter for many Venezuelans like Fabián and others with TPS.

“Ending TPS would be a devastating blow to those who have already built a life here,” said Fabián, a TPS holder who came to Chicago in 2017. “I own a business. I pay taxes. I create jobs, I contribute to my community every single day.”

Venezuelan Refugee Crisis

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s regime has been internationally condemned and the country remains in crisis amid questions about the legitimacy of the last election.

The Venezuelan government recently declared an “economic emergency” amid soaring inflation and political repression. Human rights groups have warned that sending migrants back to Venezuela under current conditions could expose them to violence, persecution or death.

Venezuela was first designated for TPS in 2021, following years of civil unrest and economic collapse that saw more than 7.6 million people flee the country as of June 2024. Under TPS, immigrants are shielded from deportation and allowed to work, and it’s renewed every 18 months.

“We didn’t leave Venezuela just because of economic problems, we left because we feared for our lives,” said Juan, a Venezuelan native TPS holder whose last name is being kept confidential because of heightened risks of deportation.

Juan, a former broadcaster for a national media outlet in Venezuela, arrived in Chicago in November 2023. He came with his eight-year-old daughter in search of safety.

“We came to the U.S. to give my daughter better access to the healthcare system, education and a brighter future,” said Juan.

In Venezuela, Juan watched his wife die of cancer because of the near-total collapse of the healthcare system.

“Hospitals are broken,” he said. “Basic rights are not guaranteed. We had to leave.”

After the ruling, Juan worries about his and his daughter’s lives in the U.S.

The Illinois Venezuelan Alliance (IVA) said the Supreme Court’s ruling “placed these individuals in a precarious position.”

“This decision threatens to destabilize families, disrupt communities, and jeopardize the safety and well-being of individuals who have sought refuge from political persecution and economic hardship.”

IVA emphasized that TPS recipients must continuously renew their protections to avoid deportation, even if they are pursuing more permanent forms of immigration status. “The prolonged litigation process has already caused irreparable harm to the affected Venezuelan community,” the statement added.

The fear of deportation sits heavily on many Venezuelan TPS holders.

“Sending Venezuelans back is sending them straight to their deaths,” Fabián said. “Just posting something on WhatsApp can land you in jail. It’s not safe.”

A Safe Haven

The Trump administration has long sought to end TPS not just for Venezuelans, but also for Haitians and others from crisis-stricken nations. When the Biden Administration extended the TPS for Haitian migrants in October 2022, Haiti’s central government was on the edge of collapse. The country remained in a long-standing political, security and humanitarian crisis.

“Haiti has been going through a terrible crisis for years now…but it just got worse… And then so we’re asking for just a little time to see how they’re [Haitian migrants] going to work this out before you send them back,” said Aline Lauture, Program Director at Haitian Congress Center. “It’s like you’re just sending them to the fire.”

“It is disheartening to see just the breakdown of a system that was supporting people, [although] temporarily,” said Lauture. “People are in shock, and then anxiety set in, fear—kids fear to go to school. People in the community… are afraid to go out.”

While the Supreme Court’s decision did not conclude the litigation, immigrant advocacy groups warn that it has already caused lasting damage.

“Without TPS, many Venezuelans could be deported, could decide to travel to other countries, or could be arbitrarily labeled as members of the Tren de Aragua or as enemy combatants and sent to El Salvador or another country,” said Helena Olea, Deputy Director at Alianza Americas.

“All of these are devastating alternatives that put deserving individuals at imminent risk of human rights violations.”

In a separate case, the Supreme Court rebuked the Trump administration for attempting to deport Venezuelans accused of belonging to the violent Tren de Aragua gang, under the rarely used 1798 Alien Enemies Act.

“I find it very concerning and unfair that the government is making generalizations by linking some Venezuelans to gangs,” Fabián said. “Like in any community, there may be a few individuals with bad intentions, but that does not represent the Venezuelan people. We came here to work hard, support our families, and rebuild our lives with dignity.”

Fabián hopes the U.S. government sees past the stereotypes. “I hope the authorities take the time to recognize the real contributions our community is making,” he said. “Ending TPS would feel like cutting our wings just as we learn to fly.”

Meanwhile, the DHS has begun promoting a “voluntary self-deportation” initiative, offering a $1,000 stipend to individuals who use the online app to self-deport. According to Panamanian officials, over 10,000 Venezuelans have taken boats from Panama to Colombia since January—an apparent signal that some migrants have already begun to retreat from the U.S.

Still, many remain in limbo, unable to return home and uncertain about their futures in the U.S.

Organizations like Alianza Americas and the Illinois Venezuelan Alliance urge the public and lawmakers to act empathetically. “Now more than ever, solidarity and compassionate action are needed to address the Venezuelan immigrant crisis with empathy and pragmatism,” IVA stated.

“We are not asking for handouts. We are asking for a chance to live, work and be safe,” Juan said.

For more than 500,000 TPS holders like Juan and Fabián, the present is steeped in fear, and the future remains unclear.

“I know people who have contributed to this country for years,” Juan said. “We are not asking for handouts. We are asking for a chance to live, work and be safe.”

Fatema Hosseini es becaria del Roy W. Howard Investigative Reporting que cubre las comunidades inmigrantes para Borderless Magazine. Envíele un correo electrónico a [email protected].