[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 14 (Monday, January 25, 2021)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 6845-6846]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-01718]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 14 / Monday, January 25, 2021 / 
Presidential Documents  

[[Page 6845]]


                Memorandum of January 19, 2021

                
Deferred Enforced Departure for Certain 
                Venezuelans

                Memorandum for the Secretary of State [and] the 
                Secretary of Homeland Security

                The autocratic government of Nicolas Maduro has 
                consistently violated the sovereign freedoms possessed 
                by the Venezuelan people. Through force and fraud, the 
                Maduro regime is responsible for the worst humanitarian 
                crisis in the Western Hemisphere in recent memory. A 
                catastrophic economic crisis and shortages of basic 
                goods and medicine have forced about five million 
                Venezuelans to flee the country, often under dangerous 
                conditions.

                This Administration has imposed sanctions against 
                Maduro and his regime, and I have recognized the 
                President of the Venezuelan National Assembly, Juan 
                Guaid[oacute], as the interim president of the country. 
                The deteriorative condition within Venezuela, which 
                presents an ongoing national security threat to the 
                safety and well-being of the American people, warrants 
                the deferral of the removal of Venezuelan nationals who 
                are present in the United States.

                Pursuant to my constitutional authority to conduct the 
                foreign relations of the United States, I have 
                determined that it is in the foreign policy interest of 
                the United States to defer the removal of any national 
                of Venezuela, or alien without nationality who last 
                habitually resided in Venezuela, subject to the 
                conditions and exceptions provided below.

                Accordingly, I hereby direct you to take appropriate 
                measures to defer for 18 months the removal of any 
                national of Venezuela, or alien without nationality who 
                last habitually resided in Venezuela, who is present in 
                the United States as of January 20, 2021, except for 
                aliens who:

                    (1) have voluntarily returned to Venezuela or their 
                country of last habitual residence outside the United 
                States;
                    (2) have not continuously resided in the United 
                States since January 20, 2021;
                    (3) are inadmissible under section 212(a)(3) of the 
                Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) (8 U.S.C. 
                1182(a)(3)) or removable under section 237(a)(4) of the 
                INA (8 U.S.C. 1227(a)(4));
                    (4) who have been convicted of any felony or 2 or 
                more misdemeanors committed in the United States, or 
                who meet the criteria set forth in section 208(b)(2)(A) 
                of the INA (8 U.S.C. 1158(b)(2)(A));
                    (5) who were deported, excluded, or removed, prior 
                to January 20, 2021;
                    (6) who are subject to extradition;
                    (7) whose presence in the United States the 
                Secretary of Homeland Security has determined is not in 
                the interest of the United States or presents a danger 
                to public safety; or
                    (8) whose presence in the United States the 
                Secretary of State has reasonable grounds to believe 
                would have potentially serious adverse foreign policy 
                consequences for the United States.

                I further direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to 
                take appropriate measures to authorize employment for 
                aliens whose removal has been deferred, as provided by 
                this memorandum, for the duration of such deferral.

[[Page 6846]]

                The Secretary of Homeland Security is authorized and 
                directed to publish this memorandum in the Federal 
                Register.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

                THE WHITE HOUSE,

                    Washington, January 19, 2021

[FR Doc. 2021-01718
Filed 1-22-21; 8:45 am]
Billing code 4410-10-P