The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has announced that it will revoke legal protections for hundreds of thousands of Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans, meaning they could face deportation within a month. The implementation of this policy will have a significant impact on the lives and work of these populations. This decision marks a shift in immigration enforcement priorities.
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03-26, 2025The order applies to approximately 532,000 people from the aforementioned four countries who have entered the United States since October 2022. These individuals initially came to the U.S. supported by financial sponsors and received two-year residency and work permits. Homeland Security Secretary Kristjen Nielsen stated that their legal status will expire on April 24, 30 days after the notice is published in the Federal Register. The upcoming expiration has sparked concerns among advocacy groups.
This new policy primarily affects those already in the United States who entered through the humanitarian parole program. Previously, the Trump administration had decided to end its so-called "widespread abuse" of humanitarian parole. Humanitarian parole is a long-standing legal tool that successive presidents have used to allow people from countries facing war or political instability to enter and temporarily reside in the United States. The use of humanitarian parole has been a contentious issue in recent years.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security stated that parolees without a legal basis to remain in the United States "must" leave the U.S. before their parole termination date. "Parole is inherently temporary, and parole itself does not provide a basis for obtaining any immigration status." Prior to this, beneficiaries of the program could remain in the United States until their parole expired, although the government had stopped processing their applications for asylum, visas, and other means that might allow them to stay long-term. The temporary nature of parole is now being emphasized.
The government's decision has already been challenged in federal court. A group of U.S. citizens and immigrants has sued the Trump administration to end humanitarian parole and seeks to restore the program for these four countries. Lawyers and activists have also spoken out to condemn the government's decision. Karen Tumlin, founder and director of the Justice Action Center, said the action would "cause unnecessary chaos and pain for families and communities across the country" and called it "reckless, cruel, and counterproductive." The legal challenges highlight the significant opposition to the policy change.
The Biden administration allows up to 30,000 people per month from these four countries to enter the United States and obtain two-year work authorization. At the same time, it has persuaded Mexico to receive the same number of people from these countries, as the U.S. has limited ability to deport them back to their home countries. Cuba typically accepts one deportation flight per month, while Venezuela and Nicaragua refuse to accept any flights. These three countries are adversaries of the United States. Haiti has accepted numerous deportation flights, especially after the influx of migrants from the Caribbean nation into the Texas border town of Del Rio in 2021. But Haiti has been in turmoil, hindering U.S. efforts. The complexities of international relations play a significant role in immigration policy.
Since late 2022, more than 500,000 people have come to the United States through this policy (also known as CHNV). This is part of the Biden administration's strategy to encourage people to enter through new legal channels while cracking down on illegal border crossings. The policy aims to balance border security with humanitarian concerns.
