Santiago Noda is a Venezuelan student who came to the U.S. seven years ago with his mother under Temporary Protected Status. He recently secured permanent residency, ending a lengthy period of uncertainty,
Like hundreds of thousands of Venezuelan immigrants covered by TPS, Noda and his family were confronted with a harsh reality when the Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration to terminate TPS for all beneficiaries from the South American country.
“Once I heard about TPS being terminated earlier this year, I knew it would affect my life in every way,” he said. “It would destroy me.”
Trump and his administration have moved to withdraw various protections that have allowed immigrants to remain in the United States and work legally, including ending TPS for 600,000 Venezuelans who were granted protection under President Joe Biden.
Congress created TPS in 1990 to prevent deportations to countries following natural disasters, civil strife or other dangerous conditions. The designation can be granted by the Homeland Security secretary. Those granted TPS can live and work in the U.S. for up to 18 months.
For Noda’s mother, Aida Vargas, the move to the U.S. was driven by fear of the government led by President Nicolas Maduro.
“We left the country because I was part of the opposing political party and received death threats,” she said. “I knew we had to leave.”
For Santiago, who learned English, graduated from high school, and is pursuing a business degree at Florida International University, the possibility of having to return to Venezuela or move elsewhere in the world became a reality.
“It’s a difficult situation, knowing that I contribute to the community, pay my taxes, and do the right thing,” he said. “It sucks that everything I’ve done isn’t recognized — I could lose everything from one day to the next.”
Path to permanent residency
But Noda and his mother soon learned they could embark on a different legal immigration pathway to remain in the United States, thanks to his grandmother, Aida Falcón.
Falcón had initially arrived in the U.S. in 2018 on a talent visa as a world-renowned geneticist and later became a U.S. citizen after meeting the necessary requirements. As an immediate relative who is a U.S. citizen, Falcón was able to sponsor Santiago and his mother for their permanent residency, also known as green cards.
This process, “Adjustment of Status” for those already present in the U.S., allowed them to transition from TPS to permanent U.S. residency.
It was life-changing for Noda and his mother to secure a green card.
“This was a huge relief for me and my family,” he said. “It means I don’t have to worry about being deported, and I can finish my degree at FIU without that fear I had ever since.”
