Today, I’d like to share remarks from the Rev. Ricardo Corzo Moreno. Fifteen years ago, he and I served together as pastors in Los Angeles. Afterward, he moved to Michigan, and he moved back to Venezuela, his home country. I am deeply concerned about deportations, especially without due process, and I am also troubled about the brutality of prison conditions to which we are sending Venezuelans in El Salvador. The marginalization of our fellow human beings also creates difficult conditions for Venezuelans in the United States. This has social and economic impacts, and as people hide in the shadows, this creates a public health crisis as well. — Renee Roederer
As a Venezuelan, I’m deeply angered by this split decision 5-4 by the Supreme Court of the United States. The vast majority of Venezuelans in federal immigration detention centers in the US and the maximum-security prison for “terrorists” in El Salvador are not criminals; they are simply immigrants seeking better job opportunities. Approximately 54% of Venezuelan Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders have obtained a College degree.
Something that is not considered in the mainstream media narrative, regardless of whether someone supports or opposes President Nicolas Maduro’s government, is that Venezuelan migration increased as a result of the criminal and coercive sanctions imposed by the United States against the Venezuelan economy and oil industry. There are statistics about patterns of Venezuelan migration to the United States since at least 1950 at Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE).
I repeat one may agree or disagree with the Venezuelan government, but you cannot subject an entire population to sanctions to force regime change.
The policy of regime change through economic sanctions has been a failure in Cuba, Iran, North Korea, and Russia, and it will continue to be so in Venezuela.
As a Venezuelan, I oppose economic sanctions and condemn the inhumane treatment of my fellow citizens who are suffering in the United States and El Salvador. They are treated as merchandise to generate profits for the private prison industry.
The vast majority of Venezuelans are not criminals, according to Homeland Security numbers, only 0.9% of Venezuelan migrants have committed some type of crime, and even that small minority deserve a fair trial and be presented before a judge.
As an example, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), by October 2024, 600 Venezuelan immigrants were detained, from this group only 20 were prosecuted for trial in federal court for alleged crimes.
Immigrants are worthy of respect for their human rights as children of God.
#SCOTUS
— Rev. Ricardo Corzo Moreno
Smuggling Grace 