For years, Yineska and her family had worked hard to build a new life in the United States. The Venezuelan mother, who had fled the economic and social collapse of her home country with her two sons and partner Eduard, had finally begun to find stability - they had a small house on the edge of Doral, Florida, jobs, and enrolled their children in school.
But after President Donald Trump's return to office, all that was taken away from them. In January 2023, just days into his second term, Trump announced he planned to end the humanitarian parole program that had allowed Yineska's family - along with more than 100,000 other Venezuelans - to enter the United States in recent years.
The decision would put the lives of countless Venezuelan immigrants at risk. Many were living and working in the US without proper documentation, relying on a fragile safety net provided by temporary protected status.
For Yineska, life had become increasingly uncertain since Trump's re-election. She feared that her American dream was about to be taken away from her. "It's as if you're standing on a rug that's pulled from under you," she told me during one of our many conversations in her small kitchen. "To tell them that their safety has an expiration date while their home country remains mired in the same crisis they fled - and is now in the crosshairs of the US military - is a painful contradiction."
The decision had been years in the making, but Yineska was not alone. She represented millions of Venezuelans who have made it to the US legally, many with little more than hope in their hearts. Since Trump's return to office, Venezuelan immigrants like Yineska and her family were facing a harsh reality - their safety net had been suddenly ripped away.
But for others, Trump's stance on Venezuela was not just about immigration - it was about regime change. The US government imposed heavy economic sanctions on the country in an effort to weaken President Nicolás Maduro's autocratic hold on power.
For many Venezuelans living in the US, particularly in South Florida and Doral, where Yineska lives, Trump had been a lifeline. His hard-line stance against Maduro had earned him broad support among Venezuelan exiles in the US, especially during his first term.
However, under President Joe Biden's administration, policies to protect Venezuelans continued. In April 2023, more than 700,000 Venezuelans were granted legal status and work permits under humanitarian parole programs.
But for many Venezuelans, including Yineska and her family, the difference between Trump's hard line and Biden's policies is one of degree - not kind. They fear that despite the administration's efforts to provide temporary relief, their safety will still be taken away if they are deemed not to have followed the rules.
As Yineska's story shows, for many Venezuelan immigrants, life in the US has become increasingly precarious since Trump's re-election. The stakes have never been higher - and the uncertainty is taking a devastating toll on communities like Doral.
For those living in the US without proper documentation, the future looks bleak. Yineska told me that "the idea of temporary relief feels detached from reality." As her story shows, for Venezuelan families like hers, the pain of losing everything they've built will be felt for years to come - and it's a fate many fear is inevitable.
The administration's move has left a trail of fear, anxiety, and uncertainty among Venezuelan immigrants in the US. For Yineska and her family, their lives have been turned upside down once again - but this time, there seems no safety net to catch them.
As one Venezuelan immigrant I spoke with put it: "We're not here for the handouts. We want a future." But for many Venezuelans living in the US without proper documentation, that future is looking increasingly uncertain.
But after President Donald Trump's return to office, all that was taken away from them. In January 2023, just days into his second term, Trump announced he planned to end the humanitarian parole program that had allowed Yineska's family - along with more than 100,000 other Venezuelans - to enter the United States in recent years.
The decision would put the lives of countless Venezuelan immigrants at risk. Many were living and working in the US without proper documentation, relying on a fragile safety net provided by temporary protected status.
For Yineska, life had become increasingly uncertain since Trump's re-election. She feared that her American dream was about to be taken away from her. "It's as if you're standing on a rug that's pulled from under you," she told me during one of our many conversations in her small kitchen. "To tell them that their safety has an expiration date while their home country remains mired in the same crisis they fled - and is now in the crosshairs of the US military - is a painful contradiction."
The decision had been years in the making, but Yineska was not alone. She represented millions of Venezuelans who have made it to the US legally, many with little more than hope in their hearts. Since Trump's return to office, Venezuelan immigrants like Yineska and her family were facing a harsh reality - their safety net had been suddenly ripped away.
But for others, Trump's stance on Venezuela was not just about immigration - it was about regime change. The US government imposed heavy economic sanctions on the country in an effort to weaken President Nicolás Maduro's autocratic hold on power.
For many Venezuelans living in the US, particularly in South Florida and Doral, where Yineska lives, Trump had been a lifeline. His hard-line stance against Maduro had earned him broad support among Venezuelan exiles in the US, especially during his first term.
However, under President Joe Biden's administration, policies to protect Venezuelans continued. In April 2023, more than 700,000 Venezuelans were granted legal status and work permits under humanitarian parole programs.
But for many Venezuelans, including Yineska and her family, the difference between Trump's hard line and Biden's policies is one of degree - not kind. They fear that despite the administration's efforts to provide temporary relief, their safety will still be taken away if they are deemed not to have followed the rules.
As Yineska's story shows, for many Venezuelan immigrants, life in the US has become increasingly precarious since Trump's re-election. The stakes have never been higher - and the uncertainty is taking a devastating toll on communities like Doral.
For those living in the US without proper documentation, the future looks bleak. Yineska told me that "the idea of temporary relief feels detached from reality." As her story shows, for Venezuelan families like hers, the pain of losing everything they've built will be felt for years to come - and it's a fate many fear is inevitable.
The administration's move has left a trail of fear, anxiety, and uncertainty among Venezuelan immigrants in the US. For Yineska and her family, their lives have been turned upside down once again - but this time, there seems no safety net to catch them.
As one Venezuelan immigrant I spoke with put it: "We're not here for the handouts. We want a future." But for many Venezuelans living in the US without proper documentation, that future is looking increasingly uncertain.
it's like they're taking away our safety net all over again... my heart goes out to yineska and her family 
i'm not sure how much more we can take 
. I mean, Yineska and her family have been living here for years, working hard to build a life, and now it feels like it's all being taken away from them. The thought of having to leave everything behind because of some policy change is just heartbreaking 
.
. I don't think that's right, you know? We should be able to live and work here without fear of the government taking it all away 
. There has to be a better way to handle this stuff...
soooo frustrating... like Trump's decision just takes all this struggle away from people who were trying to build a new life 
. We need better policies, not just temporary fixes 
. And what about all the people who are living and working in the US without docs? 
how are they supposed to keep going now? 
Trump's decision to end the humanitarian parole program for Venezuelans has me super worried... Like, what's the point of having a safety net if it's just gonna get pulled away again? 
These people have already fled their country due to economic collapse and now they're facing another crisis. It's not right that they should be living in fear all over again 
. And let's be real, what's the difference between Trump's hard line and Biden's policies if it's just gonna get taken away from them anyway? 
The whole thing feels like a big ol' mess to me 
I mean, Yineska and her family have been living in the US for years, building a new life, paying taxes, working hard... it's not right that their whole thing is being taken away because of politics 
. I feel like we're living in a bad sitcom episode where one day everything's perfect and then BAM! someone yanks the rug from under your feet 
. What's next, eh? 
u guyz can't believe this?! 
they left their home country because of economic & social collapse, but now its being taken away from them again?!