People wait their turn to fill containers with water from a public fountain in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, March 13, 2019. Blackouts have marked another harsh blow to a country paralyzed by turmoil as the power struggle between Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and opposition leader Juan Guaido stretched into its second month. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)
WASHINGTON – Trump administration officials are grappling with the question of whether to offer new deportation protections to tens of thousands of Venezuelans in the U.S. amid ongoing unrest in their country.
Officials are hoping the situation in Venezuela will improve enough to avoid having to decide whether to grant Temporary Protected Status or other protections to more than 70,000 Venezuelans in the U.S.
Some officials at the White House and Department of Homeland Security oppose such a move because it would conflict with the administration's hard-line immigration policies. Those policies are expected to be a key theme in President Donald Trump's re-election bid.
Seven people familiar with the private discussions described them to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
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