Statement regarding the instability in Venezuela and the national and homeland security implications for the U.S.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) released the following statement regarding the instability in Venezuela and the national and homeland security implications for the U.S.:

Statement from Chad Wolf, Executive Director, Chief Strategy Officer, and Chair, Center for Homeland Security and Immigration at AFPI and former Acting Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security:

The Venezuelan people have suffered under the Maduro regime for too long and the policies of the Biden-Harris Administration, particularly their weakness on oil sanctions, have exacerbated this fact. It is in America's interest for Venezuela to be a free and democratic country, not a corrupt narco-state or a puppet state of China, Russia, Iran, and Cuba.

The collapse of democratic institutions and the economic devastation in Venezuela under the Maduro regime have also contributed significantly to mass unlawful migration, creating a humanitarian crisis that destabilizes the region. Millions of Venezuelans have decided to abandon their homeland in search of stability and opportunity, straining neighboring countries – including the U.S. – and increasing pressure on international systems of aid and migration management.

Maduro's policies and the failed strategy of the Biden-Harris Administration have allowed criminal organizations, such as the Tren de Aragua gang, to extend their influence into the United States, further complicating our security and public safety. Vice President Harris was tasked with addressing the root causes of the migration crisis in March 2021, but the past three and half years of her America Last policies have created a border crisis and have severely degraded America's security at home and abroad.