Dana Taylor

I'm Dana Taylor.

I'll be back tomorrow morning with another episode of USA Today's The Excerpt.

On January 3rd, 2026, U.S.

forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and flew him to New York to face drug charges.

While his arrest has led to questions regarding who will control Venezuela's vast oil reserves, Venezuelan immigrants are now left wondering how long they will be allowed to remain in the U.S.

Hello and welcome to USA Today's The Excerpt.

I'm Dana Taylor.

Today is Monday, January 12th, 2026.

Joining me now to discuss the fall of Maduro and how it's playing out in Venezuelan immigrant communities in America is USA Today national news reporter Lauren Villagran.

So good to speak to you, Lauren.

Lauren, you wrote that sobering realities are setting in.

Why does the arrest of Maduro put the legal status of some Venezuelan immigrants in the U.S.

in limbo?

And how many immigrants are we talking about here?

Deporting immigrants to Venezuela became easier for the U.S.

after President Donald Trump took office in 2025.

What was the process like in previous years and what changed with the new Trump administration?

When were the last deportation flights from the U.S.

to Venezuela and where does that leave Venezuelan immigrants in the U.S.

?