Venezuelans living in South Florida came together in Doral to hold a vigil, as fears continue to grow that protections shielding them from deportation could soon be gone.
7News cameras captured participants at Sunday’s vigil, some of them holding candles, united in song and in prayer at the El Arepazo location along Northwest 58th Street, Sunday night.
The gathering takes place as temporary protected status for more than 340,000 Venezuelans was set to expire Monday.
However, U.S. District Judge Edward Chen in San Francisco stopped the revocation last week.
“I especially thank the fact that Judge Chen protected Venezuelans,” said activist Mari Carina Vega.
Chen cited several reasons, saying any removal likely could not be undone, even if later it’s found a Venezuelan migrant had just cause to stay.
It remains unclear how much longer that pause on deportations will remain in effect.
“But still, the fear is there, the uncertainty is there, because the government is appealing,” said Adelys Ferro with the Venezuelan-American Caucus.
Now many constituents are demanding that South Florida representatives do something about it.
“I don’t understand why now, while [Venezuelan President Nicolás] Maduro is still in power, while he still tortues political dissidents, while Venezuelan children still starve, while students are still killed for protesting peacefully, our government wants to send Venezuelans back,” said a Cuban-Venezuelan speaker at the vigil.
“We need our elected officials — whether they’re Republican, Democrat, whatever they are — to do their job,” said a speaker at the event who identified himself as Chris. “This community was built by the Cubans, the Venezuelans who built here Doral, the Nicaraguans, the Colombians. This was built by us immigrants.”
Participants at Sunday’s vigil asked people to to call U.S. Reps. María Elvira Salazar, Mario Díaz-Balart and Carlos Jimenez.
“If they are really supporting us, especially the South Florida Congress members, please ask President [Donald] Trump and Secretary [of Homeland Security Kristi] Noem, since you really are celebrating the fact that they don’t have to leave now because of the court order, please ask them to drop the appeal,” said Ferro.
There is no sign that the Trump administration will drop that appeal. Administration officials may aim to bring this issue before the Supreme Court.