The last few days have been full of emotions for Sebastian, a 28-year-old Venezuelan architect who lives in Miami.
Sebastian, who asked to be identified by his first name because of his ongoing immigration case, says he was happy to learn U.S. forces had captured President Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela in the early hours of Jan. 3.
"I felt a relief, because I thought that there'd be a radical change in the country," he told NPR. "Maybe things were going to be different."
But in a press conference later that day, President Trump said his administration had a conversation with Delcy Rodríguez, Maduro's deputy and vice president. Trump said his administration was working with her toward U.S. plans to run the country.
That announcement left Sebastian disappointed. He said he feels the danger is still present in Venezuela.
But the Trump administration says it is safe for Venezuelans to go back to their country, especially those who were in the U.S. with temporary protected status, or TPS. The administration ended the program for more than 600,000 Venezuelans last year, saying then that conditions in the country had improved.
Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, told Fox News on Sunday, "The great news for those who are here from Venezuela on temporary protected status is that now they can go home with hope for their country — a country that they love — that there is going to be peace, prosperity and stability."
But Sebastian, who came to the U.S. in 2023 and had TPS, said that does not make sense.
"The Trump administration has been saying for a year the conditions have changed for good in Venezuela," Sebastian said. "But I would ask, if the U.S. has to extract a man who took over the government, how am I supposed to believe that the situation in Venezuela is good? It's contradictory, I see the opposite — the situation is worse."
The Department of State has advised U.S. citizens not to travel to Venezuela "due to severe risks to Americans, including wrongful detention, torture in detention, terrorism, kidnapping, arbitrary enforcement of local laws, crime, civil unrest, and poor health infrastructure."
On Monday, at least 14 journalists — most from international news organizations — were detained in Venezuela, according to Venezuela's National Union of Press Workers. There are also reports that armed groups are already working to suppress any support for Maduro's ouster.
Luis Falcón said going back to Venezuela under these conditions can put those returning at extreme risk. He came to the U.S. in 2017 after fleeing persecution.
He used to work for the Presidential Honor Guard, the security detail assigned to presidents and their family members. But after retiring in 2009, he started to join protests against the Maduro government. Authorities threatened him with jail time for betraying the country, and he decided to leave Venezuela.
"I'm grateful for the big step taken in Venezuela," Falcón said. "But this is the beginning of the end. There's still a long road ahead for Venezuela to become a country of liberties, opportunities and justice for those Venezuelans who have been part of the opposition."
He said returning now is impossible.
"Putting a foot back in Venezuela means I will be taken to jail, tortured, and potentially killed," Falcón said.
He says TPS should be restored for Venezuelans until there's a transition of government there. But the Trump administration has doubled down that Venezuelans in the country with temporary status must leave.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said in an interview with Fox News on Sunday that "Venezuela today is more free than it was yesterday." She added that every individual under TPS "has the opportunity to apply for refugee status and that evaluation will go forward."
However, immigration attorneys said that's misleading.
"Saying that someone can apply for refugee status within the U.S. — the generous interpretation is that she misspoke," said Lily Axelrod, an immigration lawyer based in Memphis, Tenn. "The less generous interpretation is that she doesn't know what she's talking about or is lying."
To apply for refugee status, she says, an immigrant must be outside the U.S. Axelrod said Venezuelans in the U.S. could still apply for asylum, although that could be a challenge, especially after the Trump administration paused all asylum decisions in November.
"It's a frightening time, but maybe also a hopeful time," Axelrod said. "We all would all like to see democracy and peace for Venezuela and we would all like to see opportunities for Venezuelans who want to stay here."
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