Migrants benefiting from the parole program must quickly explore alternative legal options to maintain their status.
The Trump team is planning to eliminate the legal status of numerous migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela who were allowed entry into the United States under an initiative launched during Biden’s presidency.
This initiative represents a significant shift in U.S. immigration policy, aiming to restrict not only illegal immigration but also certain legal entry programs.
The program in question, known as CHNV, allowed over 530,000 migrants to enter the U.S. legally, provided they had an American sponsor.
The initial goal was to offer a legal alternative to unauthorized migration, providing a structured entry pathway for citizens of these four nations facing economic and political hardships. Upon taking office, Trump halted this program, claiming it violated immigration laws, according to CBS News.
Now, his administration intends to revoke the legal status of CHNV beneficiaries, except for those who have obtained another status, such as asylum, a green card, or other legal protections, CBS News reports. Migrants who do not meet these criteria will face deportation and lose their work authorization in the U.S.
The Trump administration has recently expanded the authority of federal immigration agents, allowing them to expedite the deportation of migrants admitted under certain Biden-era policies, including the CHNV program.
This strategy aims to reduce the number of undocumented migrants and limit their legal options, according to CBS News.
Another major decision concerns the reduction of beneficiaries under the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program, a temporary safeguard against deportation for vulnerable populations. Venezuelan nationals were particularly affected by the recent cancellation of a TPS extension, signaling the potential for accelerated deportations. Similar measures could be extended to immigrants of other nationalities, including Haitians, whose TPS designation is set to expire in February.
Beyond dismantling CHNV, the Trump administration is undertaking a broader overhaul of immigration policies established under Biden. This revision includes suspending programs that facilitated the legal entry of Ukrainians fleeing conflict, Afghans seeking refuge from the Taliban, and Central American minors reuniting with family in the U.S.
These programs, based on the principle of “humanitarian parole,” now face potential termination, according to American media sources.
Additionally, the Trump administration has significantly restricted access to asylum, making it more difficult for applicants to prove religious, political, or other legally protected forms of persecution. This policy shift is accompanied by a military buildup at the border, including the deployment of military aircraft for the deportation of undocumented migrants (CBS News).
These measures have sparked strong opposition from immigration experts and human rights advocates.
Tom Jawetz, former senior official at the Department of Homeland Security under Biden, criticized the move in an interview with CBS, arguing that penalizing individuals who follow legal procedures will only increase instability within the immigration system.
The Trump administration continues its systematic rollback of Biden-era immigration policies, simultaneously increasing deportations and tightening restrictions on legal migration. This approach, reminiscent of Trump’s first-term immigration policies, is expected to remain a contentious issue in Washington and across the United States.
It is important to note that Trump’s announcement regarding his intent to invalidate documents issued under the Biden program does not guarantee its implementation. Legal challenges are expected to contest any effort to eliminate the parole program. In fact, lawsuits against his 2017 decision to rescind Haiti’s TPS designation are still ongoing.