Despite loud vocal support for the Venezuelan people, the White House has done little to help those who have sought asylum in the US, The Guardian has reported. On the contrary, Washington has ignored all possible ways to help Venezuelans seeking to enter and stay in the US, instead sticking to the Trump administration's policy of reducing the influx of immigrants.
As the newspaper stressed, there are three tools available for Washington to help such refugees. One is the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) mechanism, which allows residents of certain states to remain in the US due to the extraordinary situation in their home country. Another is Deferred Enforced Departure, which gives those scheduled for deportation additional time to stay in the US.
The White House has opted not to use any of them, the media outlet indicated. What is more, those Venezuelans who have applied for regular asylum rarely receive a positive decision from the immigration services. Rebecca Press, a New York City immigration attorney cited by The Guardian, claims that even those with "strong" applications are refused them and end up in lengthy immigration court proceedings for further review.
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The discrepancy in US officials' vocal claims regarding the situation in Venezuela and their real actions has note eluded Nazanin Ash, the vice president of the International Rescue Committee (IRC).
"Here you have the administration standing with Venezuelans seeking freedom — and banning them from seeking that freedom in the United States. This administration has demonstrated again and again over the last several years is [sic] that crises and vulnerability […] have not been the factors that have moved them", she said.
Earlier, US President Donald Trump called on Venezuelan citizens to stand up for "freedom and democracy", claiming that the US would be "standing right by their side". The tweet came amid an ongoing US policy of support for self-proclaimed interim President Juan Guaido and his desire to forcibly oust democratically elected President Nicolas Maduro. In statements by US officials, the military option has not been ruled out in resolving the Venezuelan crisis.
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Maduro has slammed Guaido's claims to the presidency, calling him a US "puppet". The Venezuelan president has also condemned Washington, accusing it of attempting to carry out a coup in the country, which has been troubled by a protracted political crisis.
