South Florida Businesses Face Potential Collapse Without TPS Workers: "Many Rely on Them"

The recent ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court that paves the way for the removal of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Venezuelans has triggered alarms among business owners in South Florida, who heavily rely on migrant workers protected by this status. This is not merely a legal or political issue; the decision threatens to cause direct economic repercussions in key regional sectors, from construction and hospitality to cleaning and restoration services.

Antonio Lobo, president of a real estate agency in Weston, Broward, is among the many employers affected by the decision. His company, operating in Florida and Georgia, depends on Venezuelan workers with TPS for cleaning and property renovation tasks. "Many people depend on them: workers and their families. We are good people. They should remove only the bad actors and keep the hard-working ones," Lobo stated to Local 10.

The concern extends beyond his company; his brother, who owns a painting business, also employs workers under this migration status. Alma Chacón, an immigration lawyer, warned that the impact of the ruling goes beyond the Venezuelan community, affecting Haitian, Nicaraguan, and Cuban immigrants included in the CHNV parole program.

Broader Implications for Immigrants

"We have people working in restaurants, in all types of businesses. They are entrepreneurs who have created their own businesses," Chacón explained. She emphasized that many TPS beneficiaries entered the country legally and relied on this protection to build stable lives. She urged them to take immediate action before facing deportation.

"They must act now, not only from a migration standpoint but also for what will happen with their children and assets in the United States," she insisted.

Corporate Challenges and Legal Hurdles

The uncertainty extends to large corporations like Walt Disney World, which has just suspended 45 Venezuelan employees with TPS while they attempt to regularize their immigration status. The company stated that these workers have 30 days to present valid work authorization or face job termination. "We are committed to protecting the health, safety, and well-being of all our employees," a spokesperson said, highlighting the legal challenges now confronting many businesses with diverse workforces.

Business owners like Wilmer Escaray, who runs a dozen restaurants in Doral—known as "Little Venezuela" in South Florida—add their voices to the chorus of warnings. "It's very unfortunate to lose that human capital because there are people here doing jobs that others won't," he declared.

A Community Under Threat

His sentiments echo those of John, a Venezuelan construction company owner who has been in the United States for nearly a decade under TPS protection. "It hurts us that the government is turning its back on us. We didn't come here to commit crimes; we came to work, to build," he said.

Although the Supreme Court did not address the merits of the case, the ruling dismantles the expanded migration protections implemented during the Biden administration and allows the White House, now under Republican leadership, to pursue a more restrictive policy.

While deportations are not automatic, employers fear the massive loss of essential workers already integrated into the economic system. The Venezuelan American Chamber of Commerce has also warned about the risk of destabilizing the local economy and creating an unnecessary humanitarian crisis.

In light of this new reality, lawyers and immigration rights advocates urge TPS beneficiaries to take urgent legal measures to protect their status. Meanwhile, South Florida faces an uncertain future, with businesses at risk of collapsing due to the potential loss of thousands of employees who sustain much of the daily economic activity.