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On Friday, the Department of Homeland Security announced its decision to eliminate legal protections for a significant number of individuals from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela, potentially exposing them to deportation within roughly one month. This directive affects around 532,000 individuals who arrived in the United States since October 2022 with financial sponsors, receiving two-year permits to live and work in the country. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem indicated that these individuals will lose their legal status on April 24, which is 30 days following the notice's publication in the Federal Register. This new regulation applies to those already in the U.S. who entered under the humanitarian parole program. It follows a decision made during the Trump administration to terminate what it referred to as the "broad abuse" of humanitarian parole, which has historically been utilized by presidents to allow entry into the U.S. for those fleeing war or political unrest.
During his campaign, President Donald Trump vowed to expel millions of undocumented residents, and his presidency has involved dismantling legal channels for immigrants seeking to enter or remain in the U.S. The Department of Homeland Security stated that parolees lacking a legal basis to stay must "depart" prior to the end of their parole period. "Parole is inherently temporary, and such status alone does not qualify one for any immigration status," the DHS added. Prior to this new mandate, beneficiaries of the humanitarian program could reside in the U.S. until their parole expired, although processing for asylum applications, visas, and other avenues for extended stay had already been halted by the administration. This decision has faced legal challenges in federal court; a coalition of U.S. citizens and immigrants filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration for terminating humanitarian parole, seeking to restore the program for the affected nationalities.
Legal advocates and activists have voiced strong objections to the government's actions. Karen Tumlin, founder and director of Justice Action Center, one of the organizations involved in the February lawsuit, asserted that this move will lead to "needless chaos and heartbreak for families and communities nationwide." She characterized it as "reckless, cruel and counterproductive." The Biden administration had previously permitted up to 30,000 individuals per month from these four nations to enter the U.S. for a two-year period with work authorization, negotiating with Mexico to accept an equal number from those countries since the U.S. could deport very few, if any, back to their original homes.
Cuba typically agreed to approximately one deportation flight each month, whereas both Venezuela and Nicaragua declined to accept any. All three countries are considered adversaries of the United States. Haiti, on the other hand, took in numerous deportation flights, particularly following an influx of migrants from the Caribbean nation to the small border city of Del Rio, Texas, in 2021. However, the ongoing turmoil in Haiti has complicated U.S. efforts. Since the end of 2022, over half a million individuals have arrived in the U.S. under this policy, which is also referred to as CHNV. This initiative formed part of the Biden administration's strategy to promote new legal entry routes while simultaneously addressing illegal border crossings.
