Disney Lays Off Venezuelan Employees Following Immigration Policy Changes

Recently, Disney has laid off 45 Venezuelan employees as a direct result of changes to immigration policies initiated by the Trump administration. This action follows the revocation of a temporary legal status that was provided to around 350,000 Venezuelans under the Biden administration.

The Biden administration had previously granted these individuals a chance to enter the U.S. and offered them a temporary legal status. However, the Trump administration has decided to retract this, ultimately informing these immigrants that they need to return to their home country. In a recent ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed the administration’s authority to make such decisions.

As reported by Bloomberg, Disney has communicated with those affected, placing them on unpaid leave starting from May 20th. Employees were informed that they needed to submit updated work and residential documentation or they would face layoffs.

This development comes after the Supreme Court lifted an injunction which had previously prevented the Trump administration from acting on its plans to revoke protections for Venezuelan immigrants. According to Fox Business, the Court’s decision enables the Trump administration to terminate Biden-era Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for numerous Venezuelans currently residing in the U.S., as well as to facilitate their removal.

Interestingly, just prior to this move, protections had been extended by Homeland Security Secretary Christie Noem in February, citing national interest—a stance that has now shifted significantly.