From Legal to Illegal: How Trump Is Rolling Back

MIAMI – When Gustavo Garagorry cast his vote for Donald Trump, he did so with full awareness it might affect some of his own relatives. They had entered the U.S. legally—at least at the time—under immigration programs launched by President Joe Biden. But Garagorry, a Venezuelan immigrant and naturalized U.S. citizen, saw things differently.

“These programs were a disaster,” said Garagorry, president of the Venezuelan American Republican Club in Miami. “The Democrats played with people’s emotions and offered false hope. And now, the truth is coming out.”

Undoing Biden’s Policies

Trump’s administration is actively dismantling Biden-era immigration initiatives that opened up legal pathways for more than a million people—many from Venezuela, Cuba, Haiti, and Nicaragua. The moves include:

• Cancelling the humanitarian parole program that allowed temporary entry for over 500,000 people fleeing crisis;

• Rolling back Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 540,000 individuals;

• Reworking the CBP One app—originally used to schedule asylum interviews—into a “self-deportation” tool.

Though a federal judge recently blocked the cancellation of TPS for some 350,000 Venezuelans, many still face the possibility of losing their legal standing in the coming months.

Immigrants Caught in the Middle

Most people affected didn’t cross illegally. They entered through programs set up by the Biden administration to manage surging migration after the pandemic. At the time, they followed the rules—registering through official apps, attending interviews, undergoing background checks.

“They came here with the government’s permission,” said Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, a senior fellow with the American Immigration Council. “They did everything by the book.”

Now, under Trump, the same people are being told their presence is no longer welcome.

A System That Shifts Overnight

Immigration experts say this situation reveals the shaky legal foundation of many immigration policies. Since they’re often based on executive actions—not legislation—what one president builds, another can easily dismantle.

“The whole system is a contradiction,” said Steven Camarota of the Center for Immigration Studies, which supports stricter immigration enforcement. “It’s confusing even to lawyers.”

Even Biden’s critics acknowledge the problem. Deb Fleischaker, a former senior Homeland Security official who worked under both Trump and Biden, said Biden’s policies were “built on sand.”

“He created benefits without a stable legal foundation, and now they’re disappearing,” she said. “We’re left with tighter restrictions and fewer legal pathways.”

A Venezuelan American's Perspective

Garagorry, 58, came to the U.S. from Venezuela 25 years ago seeking political asylum. He never returned. Over the years, he built a life, earned citizenship, and watched Venezuela descend deeper into authoritarianism.

He understood why so many fled to the U.S. But he says Biden misled them.

“People came looking for opportunity and safety,” he said. “But the promises made to them were promises that couldn’t be kept.”

Now, his extended family members—many of whom arrived under the Biden programs—are weighing their options: asylum, marriage, work visas. Some may have no choice but to leave.

“It breaks my heart,” he said. “But what can you do? This is the direction the country chose.”

What Comes Next

The U.S. immigration system still allows presidents broad discretion to shape policy, particularly in humanitarian cases. Biden stretched that authority further than many presidents before him. Trump is now reversing course—arguing that immigration must be brought back under control.

It remains unclear how many of the migrants who arrived during Biden’s term will be able to stay. Some are trying to adjust their status through legal means, but others may face deportation.

And those who gave their personal details to the government through official channels? They may be the easiest to find.

“Forewarned is forearmed,” Garagorry said in Spanish. “I’m telling my family to be ready.”