By Priscilla Alvarez, Catherine E. Shoichet, CNN
(CNN) — The fate of hundreds of thousands of Venezuelan migrants in the United States remains in limbo after the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, as the country grapples with an uncertain future.
President Donald Trump’s tough line on government abuses in Venezuela helped buoy him to a resounding victory in South Florida, where Venezuelans make up a large share of the population.
But the relationship between his administration and the Venezuelan community has been turbulent. Last year, a series of moves by the Trump administration stripping deportation protections for Venezuelans, many of whom fled their country amid deteriorating economic conditions and fear of political persecution, sparked a sense of betrayal.
Now, while many Venezuelans in the US celebrated the capture of Maduro and his wife by US forces in Caracas, they also remain concerned about the regime that remains in charge there — and what might await them if the Trump administration sends them back.
“There could be progress. We don’t know when. We don’t know if there will be progress. But what we know is what we’re living in the present time and it looks ridiculously bad for anyone to go to Venezuela right now,” said Adelys Ferro, executive director of the Venezuelan American Caucus. “The uncertainty is huge and bigger than ever — and the desperation is something that I can’t even explain.”
The Trump administration made clear its intent to continue to deport Venezuelans, including by using the Alien Enemies Act, in a Monday court filing that cited the Justice Department’s indictment against Maduro to justify the use of the wartime authority, which is ensnared in ongoing litigation.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem also said over the weekend that the administration’s decisions over immigration programs benefiting Venezuelans haven’t changed in the wake of Maduro’s capture.
“Venezuela today is more free than it was yesterday, and it will continue to be that way as long as President Trump is in the White House and is making sure that he’s protecting the interest of the American people, because that ripple effect