Background Press Call by Senior Administration Officials on Venezuela

Via Teleconference

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Thank you. Greetings to everyone from the National Security Council. My name is [senior administration official], and on behalf of the NSC press team, I would like to welcome our participants to an on-background conference call to discuss Venezuela. Today, we are joined by [senior administration official], as well as [senior administration official]. We will begin with remarks from [senior administration official], and then from [senior administration official]. Then we will open it up for a question-and-answer session. As a reminder, today’s briefing will be on background, attributable to a “senior administration official,” and embargoed until 4:15 p.m. this evening. I know that we mentioned in the invitation that the call contents are embargoed until 4:30, but we’ll amend that until 4:15 this afternoon. And with that, I will turn it over to our first senior administration official. SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Hey, everybody. Thanks for jumping on the phone call. So, the purpose of the call today is really to talk about the decision of the Department of Homeland Security to grant Temporary Protected Status to Venezuelans already in the United States. But I want to put this into the context of the President’s policies toward Venezuela. You know, first of all, as a candidate, the President was the first democratic candidate to actually recognize Juan Guaidó as the legitimate leader of Venezuela and has been very clear that Nicolás Maduro is a dictator and that the May 2018 elections were fraudulent and illegitimate. His approach to Venezuela has been — has been fairly clear. Number one, he is going to underscore the importance of supporting the Venezuelan people inside and outside of the country by — with robust humanitarian assistance, particularly to the countries in the region that have been impacted by the over 5 million Venezuelans that have fled their country. Number two, he is committed to a robust multilateralism, meaning that we’re going to, as an administration, be working to increase the international consensus in favor of free and fair elections in Venezuela, and that we’re working with the international community to increase pressure in a coordinated fashion, and making clear that the only outcome of this crisis is a negotiation that leads to a democratic solution. He has also made clear that — and directed the administration to focus really on matters of human rights; to combat rampant corruption in the country; to go after every penny that has been stolen from the Venezuelan people by elements of the regime and its supporters; and to ensure that once Venezuela returns to democracy, that the United States is the first country in line to help rebuild. So, as part of that approach, we moved very quickly to grant Temporary Protected Status. And with that, I want to turn it over to my colleague, “senior official number two.” SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Thank you, “senior official number one.”  Hi, everybody. Echoing my colleague’s thanks for hopping on the call today. I’m also really delighted to be able to share with you that Secretary Mayorkas has designated Temporary Protected Status for Venezuelans. As “senior official one” just said, it is for an 18-month period in order to qualify. And this is very important: Individuals have to demonstrate continuous residence as of March 8th, 2021. So, by today. If you are arriving tomorrow or any day after, you do not qualify for this TPS designation. So, for those who do qualify and can show that they have been here as of today, they can apply for TPS. The designation is due to the extraordinary and temporary conditions in Venezuela, which is one of the statutory basis for it. Because of conditions there, it is not safe for Venezuelans to return. TPS is — also will require people to go through security and background checks. They will have to fill out, of course, the application, which does include a fee. All of this will be in a federal register notice that is going to be made available for public inspection this afternoon. And then we’ll go live, if you will, as of tomorrow. There are an expected — just to, you know, be upfront about the number — over 300,000 individuals are estimated to be eligible to file applications for TPS. But again, they have to be people who are already here. We really want to underscore that we very much expect that smugglers and other unscrupulous individuals will be now claiming that the border is open, and that is not the case. So, due to the pandemic and travel and admission restrictions at the border, those all remain in place — those restrictions. So, I think, with that, I will turn it back over to our moderator. MODERATOR: Why don’t we go to a line with Carla Angola with EVTV? Please go ahead.
 * Q Thank you so much for this opportunity. This question is for a (inaudible) officer number one.  It’s related to Venezuela, not to the TPS, but it has to be — I think that Venezuelans need an answer about that.  The question is&colon; If you are willing to start a negotiation with the Venezuelan regime through allies’, as you say, “international pressure,” what are you willing give in, taking into account that, in a negotiation, you always have to give in something?  And what would you ask the regime in return?  This is my question.  Thank you so much.
 * SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Gracias, Carla.  Really great to hear from you.  So look, just to be clear here that the negotiation is one that is not between the United States and the regime; it is between the illegitimate regime and the interim government of Venezuela.  And the outcome is one that needs to lead to free and fair elections.


 * Q So, hello, I don’t know if you can hear me. Hello?
 * SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Yes, we can.


 * Q Okay. Sorry for that.  Yeah.  This is Rafael Salido from Voice of America.  I was wondering, going back to the sanctions&colon; What would you respond to those criticizing the fact that the sanctions are still in place?  Because they may even — well, sorry, that — the fact that, if you suppress, if you suspend the sanctions, that may make it possible for countries, such as Venezuela and Iran, to go back to business, especially with things regarding with fuel, which is helping the regime getting loads of money.  And some of it is going to corrupt ways, let’s say.  What would be your — your response to that?  Thank you.
 * SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: So I think what you’re asking me is — for those people that are against lifting sanctions, what —


 * Q Exactly.
 * SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: — what our response would be?  Okay.


 * Q Thank you.


 * Q Hey, thank you so much for doing the call. Just quickly, for housekeeping, I wanted to know — I know it’s “senior administration official” — but who “senior official two” was.
 * SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Hi.  So I am the “administration official number two.”  My name is [senior administration official].


 * Q Thank you (inaudible).
 * SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  And I have to tell you that my — no, no, that’s — that’s okay.  And I have to tell you that my pen literally ran out of ink as you were talking, so I’m so sorry.


 * Q No, no, thank — and thank you. Thank you so much.  I think you pretty much got them.  I — could you explain, just to follow up&colon; In 18 months, under what criteria would it be extended?  What would you be looking for?
 * SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: That’s a great question. Honestly, I’m new to government, so I haven’t participated in those kinds of assessments.  So I can certainly get back to you on what, you know — upon what it’s based.


 * Q Thank you.


 * Q Hello. Thank you for the call.  So, first, embargo is 4&colon;30, right?
 * SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: That’s right.  So the — this is a little unusual in that Venezuelans were given Deferred Enforced Departure based on a January 19th presidential memorandum by then-President Trump.  This is a TPS designation for people who are here as of today.  TPS is different, in that it is statutory.  It is a very firm platform, if you will, for this kind of action, where people will have the opportunity to apply, if they qualify,  to get work authorization.
 * MODERATOR: We no longer have that line open, unfortunately.
 * SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Oh, sorry.  I think it was a question about the number of people.  There — of course, these are our estimates, and we will see at the end of the day how many people do come forward, but the number is around 320,000.
 * MODERATOR: And next, we can go to the line of Beatriz Pascual at EFE.  Please go ahead.


 * Q Thank you. So I am looking for some practical information or people who are who are thinking about applying.  So I wanted to know if you could please specify how much Venezuelans would have to pay, what would be the fee approximately; how long it would take for them to be granted TPS — how long the process would be; and how they can prove that they have been in the U.S. until today?  What type of documents can they give to the authorities?  Thank you.
 * SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Sure.  I can answer some of those at least.  The TPS application is set by statute at $50.  There’s also a required biometrics fee, that’s $85.  And then if the work authorization is desired, that’s $410.  So the total is $545.
 * MODERATOR: Thank you.  We have time for one more question.  We’ll go to Janet Rodriguez with Univision Network.  Please go ahead.


 * Q Thank you. Thank you for having the call.  So I want to piggyback on the last question.  And you just said they have 180 days to apply for TPS, as of tomorrow?
 * SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Yeah, so to your first question, individuals who want TPS have to file an application with USCIS within 180 days.  It’s a registration period; this is very common with all TPS designations.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Thank you so much, [senior administration official]. And thanks to our speakers. So, as a reminder, the contents of the call today are embargoed until 4:15. Again, that’s 4:15 p.m. And thank you so much to our senior administration officials for giving their time and thanks to our participants for their questions. If you have any questions, please email the NSC Press Team or you can e-mail me. Our e-mail is — one second. Or I’ll give my e-mail. It’s [redacted]. Thank you all so much. Have a good day. END