MIAMI — The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced plans on Friday to revoke the legal protections for a significant number of individuals from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. This decision puts approximately 532,000 people, who arrived in the U.S. since October 2022, at risk of deportation starting next month. These individuals were previously granted two-year permits to live and work in the country under a program that involved financial sponsorship.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem stated that these individuals would lose their legal standing by April 24, or 30 days following the announcement in the Federal Register. This order directly affects those who entered the U.S. through the humanitarian parole program, a measure historically utilized by presidents to allow entry for people from war-torn or politically unstable nations.
This move follows previous actions by former President Donald Trump’s administration, which sought to curtail what it termed as “broad abuse” of the humanitarian parole system. During his campaign, Trump committed to the deportation of millions living in the U.S. illegally, and his presidency also saw efforts to close legal routes for immigrants.
The DHS emphasized that individuals under parole without a lawful means to remain must leave by the specified date. “Parole is inherently temporary, and parole alone does not provide any immigration status,” stated the department.
Before this recent order, those benefiting from the program were permitted to stay until their parole expired, although the administration had halted processing their applications for asylum, visas, and other extensions that could secure their longer residency. This new directive has already been met with legal challenges in federal courts.
A coalition of American citizens and immigrants has taken legal action against the Trump administration’s decision to terminate the humanitarian parole, seeking to restore these avenues for the four affected nationalities. Lawyers and advocates across the nation have strongly criticized the government’s decision.
“This action will create needless disruption and heartbreak for countless families and communities,” expressed Karen Tumlin, the founder and director of the Justice Action Center, an organization that recently initiated a lawsuit. Tumlin labeled the decision as “reckless, cruel and counterproductive.”
Under the Biden administration, up to 30,000 individuals monthly from these nations were allowed entry to the U.S. for two years, with work authorization. The administration also negotiated with Mexico to readmit the same number from these countries, given the challenges in deporting them to their home countries.
While Cuba has generally accepted about one deportation flight per month, both Venezuela and Nicaragua have resisted accepting deportations, given their adversarial stance with the U.S. Meanwhile, Haiti has agreed to numerous deportation flights, particularly following a migrant surge at Del Rio, Texas, in 2021. However, ongoing instability in Haiti complicates these efforts.
Since late 2022, over half a million individuals have arrived under this policy, also known as CHNV. The Biden administration has attempted to channel migration through legal avenues while addressing unauthorized border crossings.