María Elvira Salazar is pressing for Temporary Protection Status for Venezuelans after the earthquakes, saying the emergency meets the requirements established by Congress and that sending thousands of immigrants back to the South American country is not an option.
That is why the debate around Temporary Protection Status has moved back into focus today, on Jul. 3, 2026. The Republican legislator framed the issue as a response to an emergency, making the case that the policy remedy fits the situation now facing Venezuelans.
Salazar said the emergency complies with the standards Congress set for granting Temporary Protection Status. In her words, “la emergencia cumple con los requisitos establecidos por el Congreso para conceder el Estatus de Protección Temporal,” and she added that “devolver a miles de inmigrantes al país sudamericano no es una opción.” Her argument is aimed at a group measured in the thousands, not a narrow slice of people.
What has not happened yet matters as much as what she said. The emergency is being described as qualifying for TPS, but that is not the same as saying TPS has already been granted. Salazar is pushing for the protection to be extended, while the decision itself remains unconfirmed in the material at hand.
That leaves the next step squarely with Congress and any decision-maker acting under its rules. For Venezuelans, the question is no longer whether the issue has enough urgency to be raised; it is whether Temporary Protected Status will actually be approved before those thousands are forced into a return Salazar says cannot be an option.
