Venezuelan advocates in Utah push for TPS after Supreme Court ruling, earthquakes
Jul 6, 2026, 4:01 PM
A man walks among the rubble of a building that collapsed in earthquakes the previous day in La Guaira, Venezuela, Thursday, June 25, 2026. The earthquakes have added to instability in Venezuela, said the Venezuelan Alliance of Utah, which has asked federal officials to grant Venezuelans an 18-month TPS designation. (Pedro Mattey, Associated Press)
(Pedro Mattey, Associated Press)
SALT LAKE CITY — Families are scared, frustrated and looking for answers, Venezuelan community leaders in Utah said, after a recent Supreme Court ruling involving Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, came just days before deadly earthquakes struck Venezuela.
The Venezuelan Alliance of Utah has asked federal officials to grant Venezuelans an 18-month TPS designation, arguing that returning people to Venezuela is not safe amid political instability, economic hardship and the aftermath of the June 24 earthquakes.
Mayra Molina, executive director of the Venezuelan Alliance of Utah, said the Supreme Court ruling was painful for many families who had already been living with uncertainty.
“When we heard that ruling from the Supreme Court last week, obviously sad feelings came to our community,” Molina said. “We all knew that was like our last hope.”
The Supreme Court ruled June 25 that federal law bars judicial review of many non-constitutional challenges to TPS designations, extensions and terminations. The case involved TPS protections for people from Haiti and Syria, but advocates said the decision could make it harder for immigrant groups to challenge future TPS decisions in court.
TPS allows people from certain countries to temporarily live and work legally in the United States when conditions in their home country make it unsafe to return. Those conditions can include armed conflict, natural disasters or other extraordinary circumstances.
Molina said losing TPS would mean more than losing paperwork.
“Obviously they won’t be able to work anymore, and they have the option to be deported right away,” Molina said. “That is the hard part — to be sent to the country that you’re coming from, especially because that country is not offering that safety structure.”
Earthquakes create unsafe atmosphere
The push comes after two major earthquakes hit Venezuela on June 24, causing widespread damage and worsening an already fragile humanitarian situation. The disaster has left thousands dead or injured and has strained a health care system already weakened by years of economic collapse and migration of medical workers.
“This whole situation changed the scenario where it’s not safe to go back there anymore,” Molina said. “That’s what our community needs, the protection not to be deported, and second, to still be able to work and provide for their families.”
Molina said the alliance is collecting signatures locally and plans to present them to Utah’s congressional delegation. She said the group has requested meetings with Utah senators and members of Congress but has not yet heard back.
“We’re trying to do everything as it’s supposed to be,” Molina said. “We haven’t had a response back from our representatives, although we have responses back from other authorities from other states.”
Molina said some Venezuelan families in Utah have also been affected personally by the earthquakes, including through relatives who lost homes or loved ones.
She said TPS is not automatic and does not apply to every Venezuelan in the United States. Applicants must go through a federal process and meet requirements, including background checks.
The Venezuelan Alliance of Utah is encouraging people who want to help earthquake survivors to donate directly to established relief organizations working on the ground.
