MIAMI | The Department of Homeland Security said Friday that it will revoke legal protections for hundreds of thousands of Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans, setting them up for potential deportation in about a month.
The order applies to about 532,000 people from the four countries who came to the United States since October 2022. They arrived with financial sponsors and were given two-year permits to live and work in the U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said they will lose their legal status on April 24, or 30 days after the publication of the notice in the Federal Register.
The new policy impacts people who are already in the U.S. and who came under the humanitarian parole program. It follows an earlier Trump administration decision to end what it called the “broad abuse” of the humanitarian parole, a long-standing legal tool presidents have used to allow people from countries where there’s war or political instability to enter and temporarily live in the U.S.
During his campaign President Donald Trump promised to deport millions of people who are in the U.S. illegally, and as president he has been also ending legal pathways for immigrants to come to the U.S. and to stay.
DHS said parolees without a lawful basis to stay in the U.S. “must depart” before their parole termination date.
“Parole is inherently temporary, and parole alone is not an underlying basis for obtaining any immigration status,” DHS said.
COLORADO COMMENT
Raquel Lane-Arellano, Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition: “This decision is a profound betrayal. The administration invited families to come through a legal process, and now it’s pulling the rug out from under them. It’s proof that anti-immigrant forces aren’t just targeting people who cross the border—they’re going after all immigrants, including those who followed the rules. Ending protections for hundreds of thousands of Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans will cause chaos and heartbreak, not just for them, but for the communities they’ve become part of. Our country should keep its word and protect people fleeing violence and instability — not turn its back on them.”
Rep. Jason Crow, D-Aurora: “President Trump’s actions are cruel and wrong. Aurora is one of the most diverse districts in the country. Immigrants live, work, and pay taxes in our community. They are our neighbors, own small businesses, and go to school with our children. This diversity is a source of strength and vibrancy. I will continue to stand up for immigrant families and children.”
Before the new order, the beneficiaries of the program could stay in the U.S. until their parole expires, although the administration had stopped processing their applications for asylum, visas and other requests that might allow them to remain longer.
The administration decision has already been challenged in federal courts.
A group of American citizens and immigrants sued the Trump administration for ending humanitarian parole and are seeking to reinstate the programs for the four nationalities.
Lawyers and activists raised their voices to denounce the government’s decision.
Friday’s action is “going to cause needless chaos and heartbreak for families and communities across the country,” said Karen Tumlin, founder and director of Justice Action Center, one of the organizations that filed the lawsuit at the end of February. She called it “reckless, cruel and counterproductive.”
The Biden administration allowed up to 30,000 people a month from the four countries to come to the United States for two years with eligibility to work. It persuaded Mexico to take back the same number from those countries because the U.S. could deport few, if any, to their homes.
Cuba generally accepted about one deportation flight a month, while Venezuela and Nicaragua refused to take any. All three are U.S. adversaries.
Haiti accepted many deportation flights, especially after a surge of migrants from the Caribbean country in the small border town of Del Rio, Texas, in 2021. But Haiti has been in constant turmoil, hampering U.S. efforts.
Since late 2022, more than half a million people have come to the U.S. under the policy, also known as CHNV. It was a part of the Biden administration’s approach to encourage people to come through new legal channels while cracking down on those who crossed the border illegally.
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AP editor Elliot Spagat and writer Tim Sullivan contributed to this report.
One has to feel for Democrat politicians like Mr. Crow. American citizens are abandoning the Democrat party in droves. Their approval ratings are hitting new lows every day. Unfortunately for them, they will have to find a way to earn votes back from current American citizens rather than simply relying on the importation of poor dependent foreigners for new votes. Polls show American citizens want these foreigners removed asap.
Come now Kirk. Are you paying attention? Seventy million of us voted for Harris/Walz. “Poor dependent foreigners” you claim. What a demeaning thing to say. Jason Crow hardly needs your sympathy. He is a capable honest Democratic serving his district against the likes of Donald Trump and everything he represents. Please Kirk. Your comment is pure MAGA tripe.
To say the comments are “MAGA” is fair. But don’t “play the victim” by saying the comment about “poor dependent foreigners” is demeaning. If it weren’t for the tens of billions of dollars U.S. taxpayers have paid to provide housing and support for these people, they would be living in tents on the streets. That means they are both poor and dependent on government.
It was actually cruelty to humanity for the Biden administration and NGOs ($$$) to mislead millions of people that their lives here would be easier and better than in their home countries.