Disney Florida Cast Members Face Job Loss as Venezuelan TPS Revoked by Supreme Court

Recent legal developments concerning immigration status have led The Walt Disney Company to implement significant employment changes for many of its Venezuelan staff in Florida. These employees, who hold Temporary Protected Status (TPS), now face the potential loss of their work authorizations and, consequently, their jobs, following a pivotal decision by the nation’s highest court.

Disney’s Employment Adjustments

The Walt Disney Company has placed dozens of these employees on 30-day unpaid leave, effective May 20. The company informed them that if new work authorization is not provided by the end of this period, their employment will be terminated. A spokesperson for Disney confirmed approximately 45 “cast members” are affected, stating the company’s move is to ensure legal compliance while remaining committed to the health, safety, and well-being of its employees navigating evolving immigration policies.

Impact of Supreme Court’s Ruling

This measure by Disney aligns with a recent Supreme Court decision that lifted a lower court injunction. This ruling effectively allows President Donald Trump’s administration to proceed with its plans to revoke protected legal status for hundreds of thousands of migrants residing in the U.S., specifically impacting an estimated 350,000 Venezuelans. The decision also empowers the current administration to initiate immediate removal procedures for those affected.

Understanding Temporary Protected Status (TPS)

Established in the 1990s, TPS is a humanitarian immigration program allowing the U.S. government to designate countries deemed unsafe for their nationals to return to. This status grants eligible foreign nationals already in the U.S. temporary work permits and protection from deportation, regardless of their original immigration status or if it has expired.

Venezuelan TPS: Historical Context and Current Policy

While President Trump’s administration had previously imposed severe sanctions on the regime of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, it initially resisted bipartisan calls to grant TPS designation for Venezuelans during its first term. Instead, in January 2021, the administration enacted the Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) program, offering temporary deportation protection to certain Venezuelan nationals for an 18-month period. Subsequently, the former Biden administration expanded temporary legal status under TPS in 2021 for Venezuelans who had entered the U.S. after fleeing the nation’s economic crisis.

The recent Supreme Court action now clears the path for the current Trump administration to terminate these TPS protections, including those extended by the previous administration. This follows earlier legal challenges, such as a U.S. District Judge ruling in March that had sought to keep the protections in place. The judge, siding with plaintiffs from the National TPS Alliance, characterized the abrupt termination of the 18-month increment TPS program as “unprecedented” and suggested it might have been “predicated on negative stereotypes” concerning Venezuelan migrants.