The Donald Trump administration is full of inconsistencies, and one of them is the deplorable treatment it has given to Venezuelan immigrants who were fleeing precisely from the regime of former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, whom the United States arrested and removed from the country this past Saturday to face drug trafficking and Narcoterrorism in New York.

Far from welcoming these immigrants fleeing the Maduro dictatorship, Trump revoked protections such as Temporary Protected Status (TPS), humanitarian parole, and even asylum applications are in a kind of limbo, further complicated by the uncertainty surrounding the political situation in Venezuela after the US military operation, which could influence the final decision for applicants.

Trump took away TPS from more than 600,000 Venezuelans, which granted them work permits and protected them from deportation. He also eliminated humanitarian parole, which allowed more than 117,000 Venezuelans authorized entry into the United States. Many Venezuelan asylum seekers have been detained during their court hearings. Another 252 Venezuelans were even deported to El Salvador's notorious CECOT prison without due process, invoking the Enemies of Alien Act of 1798. Venezuela is among the 19 nations whose immigration adjustments, including residency and citizenship, have been suspended by the United States. As an example of these inconsistencies, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem stated that, given the political developments, Venezuelans with Temporary Protected Status (TPS) could apply for asylum in the United States. However, hours later, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) contradicted Noem, declaring that the more than half a million Venezuelans with TPS could return to their country, "which they love." In fact, refugee status applies to people who are outside the United States, and therefore, the application is made from abroad. Asylum can be requested on U.S. soil. The majority of the Venezuelan exile community resides in Florida, and many support President Trump, who removed their immigration protections.It remains to be seen whether the operation that removed Maduro will repair that damage, but everything will depend on how things develop. Those who hoped that no vestiges of the regime would remain have been surprised to find that Maduro's vice president, Delcy Rodriguez, was sworn in as acting president on Monday. In other words, the Maduro regime is still in place. Aside from the political considerations and the effect that Maduro's departure may have on other countries in the region and on the interests of nations like China, undoubtedly one of the biggest questions is what will happen to the millions of Venezuelans in the diaspora, especially those residing in the United States who have lost their immigration protections. If the situation in Venezuela worsens, the question is what will happen to the Venezuelans whom Trump decriminalized here in the United States. Miami Mayor Eileen Higgins, a Democrat, called for the reinstatement of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to prevent Venezuelans from returning to an unstable country. And indeed, throughout this entire process, little is said about restoring democracy or protecting human rights. Instead, there is talk of seizing Venezuelan oil and portraying Venezuela as the main exporter of drugs to the United States, even though it is not. A recent United Nations report places Venezuela as a marginal country on the drug trafficking route.

If the interest were protecting the United States from drug trafficking, why did Trump pardon former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez, who was serving a 45-year prison sentence for conspiring to bring more than 400 tons of cocaine into the United States?

The reality is that Trump 2.0 seems to have recently realized China's influence in the Western Hemisphere, and as in other historical periods, the United States wants to direct the destinies of other countries by dusting off the playbook of Yankee imperialism from the last century.

Although this time there is also an interest in diverting the attention of the American public from several domestic disasters such as the high cost of living and housing, and the impending increases in Obamacare health insurance premiums due to the Republicans' elimination of subsidies.

Already Stephen Miller, White House Deputy Chief of Staff and National Security Advisor, said that under the “Trump Doctrine,” the United States will use its military “without hesitation” to guarantee American interests. “We are a superpower. And with President Trump, we will behave like one,” Miller stated. Even if it is a chaotic and brazen doctrine. The texts published in this section are the sole responsibility of the authors, therefore La Opinion assumes no responsibility for them.