VENEZUELA · US IMMIGRATION
Key Facts
- Power Index Venezuela ranks 12th of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 29.4 points (November 2026 edition).
- What is happening On Tuesday, 3 November, the Ninth Circuit granted a 14-day pause on the order restoring Venezuelan TPS.
- Why it matters Hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans lost deportation protection and work permits in 2025, and the pause keeps them without it.
- The numbers DHS counted about 348,000 people registered under the 2023 designation in February 2025; the new pause lasts 14 days.
- Who is who TPS shields people from deportation. The Ninth Circuit is the appeals court for nine western states.
- What to watch Watch for a Supreme Court filing, any new Ninth Circuit order and DHS guidance.
- What it means for you Former TPS holders should wait for official DHS guidance before relying on restored status or work permits.
This story is part of our coverage of the Venezuela US tensions. Who runs Venezuela, the US sanctions and oil deals, the Maduro case and the odds are in our dossier.
A US appeals court has put the return of Venezuelans’ deportation protection on hold. The pause is set for 14 days, so protection due back on Friday, 6 November stays on hold.
A US appeals court on Tuesday, 3 November, paused the return of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Venezuelans. The three-judge Ninth Circuit panel granted a 14-day administrative stay of the order that would restore it.
That order was due to bring back deportation protection and work permits for Venezuelans on Friday, 6 November. For hundreds of thousands of people who lost TPS in 2025, the return is now on hold.
In Plain English
TPS is a program that lets people from countries in crisis live and work in the United States legally. The Trump administration ended it for Venezuelans in 2025, and a federal judge later found that move unlawful.
An administrative stay is a short pause that gives a court time to decide whether to freeze an order for longer. It is not a ruling on which side is right.
What the Court Did This Week
On Friday, 30 October, the Ninth Circuit refused the government’s request to keep the order frozen during its appeal. It also refused a fallback request for a pause of at least 21 days.
On Tuesday, 3 November, the panel changed course and granted a 14-day administrative stay. The panel’s reasons are not yet public, and the appeal itself continues.
How the Case Got Here
In February 2025 the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ended Venezuela‘s 2023 TPS designation, which covered about 348,000 registered people. On 5 September 2025, Judge Edward Chen in San Francisco set that decision aside.
The Supreme Court paused Chen’s order on 3 October 2025, so the termination took effect. The Ninth Circuit upheld Chen on 28 January 2026, but the Supreme Court vacated that ruling on 5 October 2026.
The justices sent the case back in light of a 2026 ruling on court review of TPS cases. The government argues that ruling strips federal courts of power to hear these challenges.
The Supreme Court’s 2025 stay ends when its judgment is sent down, which the plaintiffs date to Friday, 6 November. The new Ninth Circuit stay now blocks the restoration from taking effect that day.
What It Means for US Readers
Venezuelans who lost TPS remain without that protection and without TPS work permits while the pause lasts. Employers should wait for guidance from DHS and US Citizenship and Immigration Services, which issues work permits, before changing work checks.
Other legal routes may exist, and each case differs. Affected people should ask an immigration lawyer or a recognised legal aid group.
Related Rio Times reports include Supreme Court Voids Ruling Shielding Venezuelans in US. More is on the Venezuela hub and in the Venezuela geopolitics guide.
What Is Not Known
The panel’s reasons and the full text of the 3 November order could not be confirmed at the court docket. One report says the 14 days begin on Friday, which would be 6 November, but the court’s own order was not seen.
No filing by the government at the Supreme Court has been confirmed as of Wednesday, 4 November. No statement from DHS or the plaintiffs on the pause has been confirmed either.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Venezuelan TPS back?
Not yet. A 14-day Ninth Circuit pause granted on 3 November holds back the restoration due on 6 November.
What is an administrative stay?
It is a short court pause that freezes an order while judges decide whether to keep it frozen longer. It is not a ruling on the merits.
How many Venezuelans are affected?
The Department of Homeland Security counted about 348,000 people under the 2023 designation in February 2025. The plaintiffs say hundreds of thousands lost protection.
Can the Supreme Court still act?
Yes. Either side can ask the justices to step in, but no new filing has been confirmed.
Sources: US Supreme Court, docket 26-48, Mullin v. National TPS Alliance, order of 5 October 2026; US Supreme Court, docket 25A326, order of 3 October 2025; ACLU of Northern California, press release on the Ninth Circuit order, 30 October 2026; Federal Register, DHS notice terminating the 2023 Venezuela TPS designation, 5 February 2025 (accessed 4 November 2026).
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated AI newsroom. Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief. How we use AI · Report an error
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