SAN ANTONIO – As the situation in Venezuela continues to shift, Fred Schellenberg said he’s been fielding a lot of questions.
“A number of Venezuelans are calling us asking what’s going to happen,” the director of the American Organization for Immigrants said.
Since the strikes in Venezuela and the arrest of President Nicolas Maduro, Schellenberg said the concern he’s hearing is about how asylum cases, temporary protected status and deportation could be impacted.
“We just don’t know what’s going to happen,” he said.
Katsuo Nishikawa Chavez is an associate professor at Trinity University and an expert in Latin American politics.
“Is there a concern about displacement or a new wave of immigration or migration in the short term?” KSAT reporter Avery Everett asked.
“Yes,” Chavez said. “This all depends on how quickly Venezuela can be on a path to reform and to change.”
Schellenberg said Venezuelans currently in the United States should be keeping a close eye on their case status.
“I would continue to monitor the United States citizen immigration webpages almost daily,” he said. “And, if you have representation, your chances are night and day a lot better.”
To see the latest asylum from the U.S. government, click here.
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