On the living room wall of Sean and Michelle hangs a massive painting of a sailboat, poised atop a tumultuous wave, a striking metaphor for their precarious immigration journey in the United States.
This moment could easily be interpreted as a reflection of their lives, marred by uncertainty as their Temporary Protected Status (TPS) draws near to its expiration.
A homework assignment by their elementary school child is framed on the wall leading into the kitchen, detailing plans for summer activities that include camp, days at the beach, and visits with a grandparent.
The cheerful note ends with the excited declaration, “Summer is going to be an awesome time,” but the reality is that this might be their last summer in the United States.
Sean and Michelle are part of hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans living legally in the U.S. under TPS, a program that the Trump administration has decided to end, with their status set to expire in September.
TPS is designed for individuals from countries deemed unsafe due to natural disasters or civil unrest, allowing them to live and work legally within the U.S.
President Donald Trump, during his tenure, actively pursued policies to dismantle immigration pathways established during the Biden administration, targeting groups like Sean and Michelle.
In a recent Supreme Court ruling, the court paved the way for the Trump administration to revoke TPS from an estimated 350,000 Venezuelans, which had initially been scheduled to end in April.
This means that an additional 250,000 Venezuelans, including Sean and Michelle, will soon lose their protections, leaving them vulnerable.
Concerned about possible repercussions from both U.S. and Venezuelan authorities, the couple requested that WLRN withhold their full names, as they are navigating pending immigration cases that could lead to deportation.
Their journey to the U.S. was tumultuous.
It began in the wake of Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez’s death in 2013, a time marked by political peril for many citizens. Sean, who had been implicated in a conspiracy against the government due to his connection with U.S. embassy workers, faced threats of arrest.
Michelle, at that time, was in the U.S. on a student visa. After their marriage, she quickly returned to Venezuela, while Sean was advised to leave the country within 24 hours due to the risk of arrest.
“This was one of the situations that you really can call a life or death situation,” Sean recalled, reflecting on the gravity of their circumstances.
After hurriedly departing, they flew to Miami, landing in the spring of 2013, where they felt a sense of relief.
“We were holding our hands on the plane, saying to each other, ‘We made it. We made it. We got out. We finally got out,’” Sean reminisced.
Settling in Miami Beach, the couple faced skepticism from family who worried about the high cost and chaotic environment but remained determined to immerse themselves in English-speaking surroundings.
Sean found work cleaning and washing yachts and filed for political asylum in July 2013, believing their case was strongly justified.
However, the reality was stark. Nationwide, asylum claims were frequently denied—only one in eight applicants were granted asylum in the last fiscal year, with even lower rates in Miami, where competition is fierce.
The couple endured a grueling wait for five years, a time filled with uncertainty as they navigated the complex immigration process.
In 2018, their asylum interview was finally scheduled coincidentally soon after the heartbreaking loss of Michelle’s mother in Venezuela.
While Michelle grappled with the decision to stay in the U.S. for the interview, Sean pushed through the process, attending multiple interviews over the years, leading to considerable emotional strain.
By the summer of 2021, after eight years of waiting, new complications arose when an envelope arrived indicating they were required to appear before an immigration judge.
Faced with the difficult choice of continuing the asylum claim, the couple found a glimmer of hope when President Biden announced TPS for Venezuelans.
They opted to abandon their asylum case in favor of the TPS application, which permitted them to live and work in the U.S. for a limited time.
In late November 2024, they traveled to Texas for a brief return trip to Mexico, completing the necessary process before Trump’s presidential inauguration, which they feared could jeopardize their status.
Returning to an uncertain reality, they were disheartened when, in February, the cancellation of TPS for Venezuelans was announced, setting a September expiration date for numerous families including theirs.
“We reached a point where we were constantly worrying about it. We realized there’s no way to make plans anymore,” Sean said, elaborating on the couple’s struggles.
With expired Venezuelan passports and no means to renew them due to strained diplomatic relations between the two countries, they feel trapped in their current situation.
Their only option remains to wait and see how their circumstances evolve.
The couple has explored other avenues through the consulates of several countries, hoping to establish an escape route to avoid returning to what Sean labels “enemy territory.”
In a possible turn for their future, Michelle has been approved to apply for an H-1B visa, a temporary work visa for specialty occupations.
If approved, this visa could allow them to stay in the U.S. for an additional three years, which would carry them through a pivotal time as their child approaches the end of elementary school.
However, uncertainties persist, especially regarding their child, a U.S. citizen.
Trump’s attempts to alter birthright citizenship add to their worries, as the implications of such changes could negatively impact their child’s status.
The outcome of ongoing legal challenges to this effort may ultimately determine their family’s future.
In light of these mounting pressures, Sean and Michelle have chosen to put off any plans for a second child for now, focusing on the stability of their family amidst the looming threat of deportation.
image source from：https://www.wlrn.org/government-politics/2025-06-10/immigration-tps-asylum-venezuela
