This week, the Supreme Court ruled that the Trump administration could revoke protections in the U.S. for approximately 350,000 Venezuelans. Following the ruling, Disney notified 45 employees that they would be placed on unpaid leave, with benefits. The employees could lose Temporary Protected Status (TPS) as early as next month.
The employees were told that the leave would be 30 days and begin on May 20th. If they are unable to provide new work authorization to the company by the end of this window, they will be let go.
“As we sort out the complexities of this situation, we have placed affected employees on leave with benefits to ensure they are not in violation of the law,” a spokesperson said. “We are committed to protecting the health, safety, and well-being of all our employees who may be navigating changing immigration policies and how they could impact them or their families.”
Disney made this move after the Supreme Court agreed to lift a lower court injunction that blocked President Donald Trump’s decision to terminate the protected legal status of hundreds of thousands of migrants living in the U.S. on Monday.
The employees were reached out to on Tuesday after the court decision. It is possible that some could apply for political asylum. It is unknown if they will do so, however. It is also not known where exactly these employees work.
