Yansall Rasquides / Staff Writer
FIU students and faculty are paving the way for Venezuelans to earn Temporary Protected Status (TPS), offering them free legal assistance.
Proyecto Libertadores Siglo XXI, which translates to Project Liberators of the 21st-century, is a human rights group started by six FIU law professors at the College of Law.
Luis Moros, a native of Venezuela, who is volunteering with the organization is double majoring in criminal justice and political science, and has been working with them since July 10.
Moro’s family struggled financially when they fled Venezuela in 2017 to settle in Miami, which inspired him to help others.
“My mother and I were homeless, she came to this country with only $100,” said Moros. “I moved seven times because we couldn’t afford rent but I didn’t let those obstacles stand in my way, and that’s why I’m here doing this.”
The U.S. provides TPS for those whose homeland is unsafe or unfit to return to, such as Haiti, Honduras and El Salvador, according to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services website.
“You get a more steady life,” said Juan Gomez, a professor who teaches immigration law and is partnering with the organization to assist Venezuelan immigrants to apply for TPS.
On March 8, 2021 Alejandro N. Mayorkas, the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, announced the approval of TPS for Venezuelans, paving the way for over 300,000 Venezuelans to apply for it.
Under TPS, Venezuelans receive temporary residency, permission to work in the U.S. and apply for a driver’s license. If approved, they are eligible for up to 18 months of protective status before having to reapply.
“One, immigration will not be bothering you. You’ll have a work permit, so that you’re employable in a regular employment sense,” said Gomez.
When covered by TPS, one cannot be removed from the U.S. or detained by the Department of Homeland Security. Beneficiaries can also be granted travel authorization.
However, some Venezuelan refugees avoid filing TPS paperwork due to the high cost of legal assistance.
Gomez reasoned this may also be due to a lack of information, and sharing of misinformation on the issue.
“There’s a lot of misinformation of what [TPS] does and doesn’t do,” said Gomez. “And also a lack of organization in the community, and a lack of, if you will, political will on behalf of the leadership.”
He noted some common rumors about applying for TPS.
“There’s a lot of distrust,” said Gomez. “A lot of people have not applied because they’ve been told, ‘This is going to block your asylum, or this is going to delay your asylum.’”
Asylum is granted to individuals immigrating from their native countries seeking protection or shelter due to political persecution, according to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
“In 2019, approximately 90 percent of the cases of asylum applications were denied,” said Gomez. “A lot of people misunderstand that they are not eligible for asylum, because there’s a huge misunderstanding of what asylum is.”
“We’re working on Venezuela’s human rights,” said Gomez who also directs the Carlos A. Costa Immigration Human Rights Clinic, a course offered to students specializing in immigration law.

In order to file for TPS, Venezuelans must reside in the U.S. since March 8, 2021, and have continuous physical presence in the country since March 9, 2021.
The registration period to file for TPS is March 9, 2021 through Sept. 5, 2021. The status will be valid through Sept. 9, 2022, and will expire after this date.
Almost three months after TPS was approved, the Supreme Court ruled, in Sanchez v. Mayorkas, immigrants with TPS who entered the United States illegally cannot apply for a green card.
The program is open to the public, with no appointments necessary. Those seeking legal assistance can visit the College of Law from 8 a.m. until there are no more clients, Moros explained.
“We tried to make it accessible… that’s why it’s on the weekend,” said Moros. “We’ll provide service from eight in the morning, until the last [client] of the day.”
Assistance began on Saturday, July 10, and will continue every Saturday until Aug. 7.
He encourages additional volunteers from the public to help with the program. For more information or to volunteer, contact Moros at lmoros@fiu.edu.
Gomez recommended speaking to a lawyer on a case by case basis.
“We need the Venezuelan community if it is going to be protected in large numbers,” said Gomez. “Please, if they have a lawyer go to that lawyer, speak to that lawyer. If you can’t afford a lawyer, then come down to FIU.”