Disney places Venezuelan employees on unpaid leave after a Supreme Court decision cleared the Trump administration to revoke Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for hundreds of thousands of Venezuelan migrants in the United States. The move impacts about 45 Disney cast members based in Florida, who now face possible job termination.
On Tuesday, The Walt Disney Company officially notified these employees that they would be placed on 30-day unpaid leave starting May 20. Without valid work authorization at the end of the leave period, their employment will be terminated.
A Disney spokesperson confirmed the decision, stating: “As we sort out the complexities of this situation, we have placed affected employees on leave with benefits. We are committed to protecting their well-being while complying with the law.”
Disney places Venezuelan employees on unpaid leave in direct response to Monday’s Supreme Court ruling, which overturned a lower court’s injunction. That injunction had temporarily blocked former President Donald Trump’s plan to end TPS protections extended during President Joe Biden’s administration.
The Supreme Court’s decision allows the Trump administration to resume plans for removing up to 350,000 Venezuelans currently protected under the program. The Department of Homeland Security says the policy change is based on national interest, and Secretary Kristi Noem officially terminated protections for a subset of Venezuelans in February.
Temporary Protected Status, created in the 1990s, provides work authorization and deportation relief to nationals from countries facing crises such as armed conflict, natural disasters, or political turmoil. In 2021, the Biden administration extended TPS to Venezuelans fleeing economic collapse and political repression.
In March, a federal judge ruled in favor of keeping TPS protections, calling their abrupt removal “unprecedented” and possibly influenced by negative stereotypes. However, the Supreme Court’s ruling has now overridden that decision.
Disney places Venezuelan employees on unpaid leave, showcasing the real-world consequences of shifting U.S. immigration policy. Major corporations like Disney must now respond to sudden changes in federal law, often impacting loyal, long-serving employees.
The affected Venezuelan employees, many of whom have lived and worked in the U.S. for years, are now in legal limbo. Unless they can obtain new work permits within the 30-day window, they risk losing their jobs entirely.
This move could also set a precedent for how other companies handle employees with TPS or similar immigration statuses under renewed enforcement by the Trump administration.
As the immigration debate intensifies and TPS protections unravel, the business community faces mounting pressure to adapt.
Disney places Venezuelan employees on unpaid leave—a development that underscores the intersection of politics, policy, and corporate responsibility in today’s workforce.
For more breaking immigration and business news, visit DC Brief.
