Trump administration curbs TPS for Venezuelans

Kimberly Leonard's must-read briefing on what's hot, crazy or shady about politics in the Sunshine State

Feb 05, 2025 View in browser   By Kimberly Leonard and Isa Domínguez The TPS decision shows how the administration’s moves could continue to put Florida Republicans in a difficult position. | Rebecca Blackwell/AP Good morning and welcome to Wednesday.  The Trump administration’s decision to end protections shielding Venezuelans from deportation has left elected officials in Florida scrambling. New regulations published this morning are set to end Venezuelans’ Temporary Protection Status (TPS). This would make those who gained the protections in 2023 at risk of deportation after April 7 — far sooner than the end of October 2026 expiration set during the Biden administration. The protections otherwise allow certain foreign citizens to work in the U.S. after fleeing unrest in their home countries. Members of the state's congressional delegation have been vocal about the decision; the protections cover more people in Florida than in any other state. Rep. CARLOS GIMÉNEZ (R-Fla.) sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary KRISTI NOEM last week warning that people who are law-abiding should not be unfairly stigmatized or penalized alongside gang members the administration says it’s targeting. He urged them to focus on removing strongman NICOLÁS MADURO, who took office for his third term in January despite the U.S. stating that opposition leader EDMUNDO GONZÁLEZ URRUTIA was the presidential election’s rightful winner. Giménez has also been in talks with the Trump administration to try and “find a case-by-case solution, repatriate the convicted criminals and protect those facing political persecution in Venezuela,” his office said. Rep. MARIO DÍAZ-BALART (R-Fla.) has similarly argued that people’s TPS cases should be reviewed on an individual basis. There’s also local outcry. On Tuesday, the Miami-Dade County Commission held a vote urging the Trump administration to reverse course on its TPS decision, Douglas Hanks of the Miami Herald reported. The area is hugely supportive of Donald Trump. He won Miami-Dade by 11 points in the 2024 election and Doral — home to the largest Venezuelan community in Florida — by 61 percent. More counties may follow. Palm Beach County Commissioner MARIA SACHS, a former member of the Florida Legislature, told POLITICO’s Isa Domínguez that she would “not be against urging the president to review carefully which populations we need to protect from immediate deportation.” “You don’t have Florida unless you have our wonderful immigrants,” she said. “This is not a political issue. This is an American issue. … [Trump] should be particularly aware of this being a Palm Beach County resident.” The situation in Venezuela proved to be a major factor in the 2024 election in Florida, and the TPS decision shows how the administration’s moves could continue to put Florida Republicans in a difficult position. House GOP members often blasted President JOE BIDEN for what they saw as a too-cautious posture toward Maduro and accused Democrats of being socialist sympathizers — even as many Florida Democrats deviated from Biden in their rhetoric and earlier calls for heightened sanctions. At the root of the concern: Venezuela remains in a political crisis. After Maduro claimed to have won the presidential election in July 2024, he has strengthened his repressive grip over Venezuelans. Maduro has targeted and arrested leaders, activists and supporters aligned with the opposition. Confrontations between Venezuelans and the military have rocked the country. Trump envoy RICHARD GRENELL visited Venezuela last week and returned with six American detainees. Trump said a deal had been reached to accept deportations, while Maduro called the meeting a “first step,” Reuters reported. But federal lawmakers stress the most important step would be to remove Maduro. “There is a simple solution to this: Maduro has to go!” Rep. MARÍA ELVIRA SALAZAR (R-Fla.) said in a statement. “Trump is the only force to get him out. Once Maduro is gone — there will be peace for Venezuelans. Maduro must go and this will allow Venezuelans to safely return to live with freedom in their homeland.” — Kimberly Leonard and Isa Domínguez Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget that Playbook should look at? Get in touch at: kleonard@politico.com   We’ve re-imagined and expanded our Inside Congress newsletter to give you unmatched reporting on Capitol Hill politics and policy -- and we'll get it to your inbox even earlier. Subscribe today.     ... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ... NEW RIGHT-HAND MAN — Gov. RON DESANTIS has selected JASON WEIDA to be his next chief of staff, reports POLITICO’s Gary Fineout. Weida, “an attorney and former assistant federal prosecutor who was once nominated for a top position in Trump's first term, has been secretary of the Agency for Health Care Administration since 2022. AHCA oversees the mammoth $35 billion Medicaid program.” Current chief of staff JAMES UTHMEIER is “expected to depart soon to become Florida’s attorney general, although an exact timeline has not been announced. The attorney general post came open after DeSantis appointed Republican Ashley Moody to the Senate following Marco Rubio's resignation to become secretary of State.” What’s next: “The chief of staff position is not subject to Florida Senate confirmation. But DeSantis will need to find a new AHCA secretary — a post is subject to confirmation.” PRICE HIKE — “The Public Service Commission on Tuesday approved charging utility customers for restoring power after 2024's hurricanes — even as commissioners struggled with the idea of raising bills,” reports POLITICO’s Bruce Ritchie. “The PSC unanimously approved charging Duke Energy Florida customers $1.1 billion and Tampa Electric Co. customers $464 million for restoration after hurricanes Debby, Helene and Milton. The commission approved charging the average TECO residential customer $19.95 per month for 18 months. That represents a reduction from TECO's request to charge customers more than $30 per month over 12 months.” RECORDS RELEASE — Newly released public records show that Uthmeier scheduled a meeting two years ago with the nonprofit involved in plans to build golf courses and hotels on state park land, report the Tampa Bay Times’ Max Chesnes and Emily L. Mahoney. They write that a calendar appointment showed “a call on Feb. 9, 2023 with Lt. Col. Dan Rooney, the founder of the Folds of Honor veterans charity that had pitched multiple politicians on the idea of building a golf course on Jonathan Dickinson State Park. Also included on the appointment were Scott Tolley, who has worked for both Folds of Honor and famed golfer Jack Nicklaus, as well as Alex Kelly, who at the time was a deputy chief of staff for DeSantis.” TARIFFS RAMIFICATIONS — “Orange juice and tourists — those are two of the things most at risk for Florida in the trade dispute between the U-S and Canada, even as the two countries agree to pause their threatened tariffs for a month,” reports WLRN’s Tom Hudson. “If there is American orange juice in Canada, odds are it came from Florida. And it would be more expensive if the two countries cannot come to an agreement over the next month to end trade tensions.” DATASET — The South Florida Sun Sentinel is out with a new map and table that helps Floridians compare how much property insurance costs in different counties, and how much prices have increased since 2022. Per the Sun Sentinel’s Ron Hurtibise: “Guy Fraker, a consultant who has authored studies about insurance litigation and its effect on rates, told the Sun Sentinel that increases in the intensity of convective storms and more hurricanes in a warming Gulf are driving rates in western and central counties to catch up to those in southeastern counties.” SQUEEZED — “Florida’s troubled citrus industry looks for help,” by Jim Turner of News Service of Florida. “Citrus growers called on lawmakers Tuesday to continue providing research and advertising money to help an industry that has seen production drop more than 90 percent in less than three decades. Otherwise, they cautioned that more of the roughly 1,500 remaining citrus growers in the state could exit the industry.” — “Conservation groups aim to block lawsuit that removes protections for Florida scrub jays,” by WLRN’s Alyssa Ramos.   A new era in Washington calls for sharper insights. Get faster policy scoops, more congressional coverage, and a re-imagined newsletter under the leadership of Jack Blanchard. Subscribe to our Playbook Newsletter today.     PENINSULA AND BEYOND COMING TO A CLOSE — “[Florida Atlantic University] to pick new president, with salary and benefits possibly topping $1 million,” reports Scott Travis of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. “The FAU Board of Trustees voted Tuesday to set a range for the total of compensation for the next president at $1 million to $1.5 million. The trustees plan to interview three finalists and choose the next president Monday.” FAMU WORKERS LAUNCH UNION — Florida A&M University’s staff is launching a new labor union called the FAMU Chapter of United Campus Workers, reports the Tallahassee Democrat’s Tarah Jean. CAMPAIGN MODE Florida’s local election supervisors want state legislators to reinstate a law that allowed voters to renew a vote-by-mail request by checking a box when they return their ballot. | Lynne Sladky/AP Photo CHECK THE BOX — Florida’s local election supervisors, citing confusion and significant drop-offs in participation, want state legislators to reinstate a law that allowed voters to renew a vote-by-mail request by checking a box when they return their ballot. In the aftermath of the 2020 election, during which Trump made false claims about widespread voter fraud, DeSantis and the Florida Legislature changed the law. Starting in 2023, vote-by-mail requests are only good for up to two years and are automatically canceled the month after a general election. The law also included added identification requirements. Supervisors pointed out the automatic cancellation has had a dramatic effect in recent special elections to fill congressional seats. Lake County Supervisor of Elections ALAN HAYS told a Senate elections panel on Tuesday that ahead of the November election he mailed out nearly 14,000 vote-by-mail ballots. That sank to 3,300 during a primary to replace former Rep. MIKE WALTZ. State Sen. DON GAETZ, the chair of the Senate Ethics and Elections Committee, told supervisors that he expects the Legislature to craft an elections bill for the upcoming session. But he didn't commit to bringing back the checkbox. —  Gary Fineout FLORIDA NATIVE — “Why some centrist Dems fear David Hogg could ‘do more harm than good,’” by POLITICO’s Elena Schneider. “Inside the Democratic Party, Hogg’s election — and the resulting coverage — has been accompanied by frustration among centrists that a 24-year-old March for our Lives co-founder with a million followers could hurt the party’s brand, especially in swing districts.” 2026 WATCH — Community organizer ELIJAH MANLEY plans to challenge Rep. SHEILA CHERFILUS-MCCORMICK in the 2026 Democratic primary, reports Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics. TRUMPLANDIA AND THE SWAMP The Senate has confirmed former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi as attorney general. | Francis Chung/POLITICO NEW AG IN DC — The Senate confirmed PAM BONDI, Trump's nominee for attorney general, on Tuesday night by a 54-46 vote, with all Democrats but Sen. JOHN FETTERMAN of Pennsylvania opposed, reports POLITICO’s Hailey Fuchs. MAR-A-LAGO CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS CASE FALLOUT — FBI agents who worked on the Trump classified documents case and other criminal probes related to Trump have anonymously filed a class action lawsuit to block the Justice Department leadership from putting together lists of agents who were assigned to the cases, saying they fear retaliation or publication of the lists, reports POLITICO’s Kyle Cheney and Josh Gerstein. TOP FBI AGENT FORCED OUT — JEFFREY VELTRI, head of the FBI’s Miami field office, resigned Friday after receiving an ultimatum: “retire, resign, or be fired by Monday,” reports the Miami Herald’s Jay Weaver. It’s not immediately clear why he was forced out, but his resignation may be connected to his involvement in the classified documents case. TRANSITION TIME — JARED WILLIS, who previously worked on policy for former Florida Senate President KATHLEEN PASSIDOMO, is joining The Mayernick Group government relations firm. Willis also founded the government affairs and public affairs consulting firm Catalyst Strategies in 2022, and his past focus areas have included health care, education, real estate and property insurance. ODDS, ENDS AND FLORIDA MEN BIRTHDAYS: Former state Rep. Clay Ingram ... Michael Olenick, former member of the State Board of Education.   Follow us on Twitter Kimberly Leonard @leonardkl   Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook  |  Playbook PM  |  California Playbook  |  Florida Playbook  |  Illinois Playbook  |  Massachusetts Playbook  |  New Jersey Playbook  |  New York Playbook  |  Ottawa Playbook  |  Brussels Playbook  |  London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters Follow us

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