The US will not renew the legal status of hundreds of thousands of immigrants By Reuters
Written by Ted Hesson and Kristina Cooke
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Biden administration will not renew a temporary immigration program to help hundreds of thousands of immigrants and American sponsors who have arrived in recent years, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said on Friday.
Some 530,000 migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela have flown into the US since October 2022 and received two-year grants under a “liberation” program that will begin to expire in the coming weeks.
However, many of those immigrants can stay in the country under other programs.
The parole program allows immigrants with existing US sponsors to enter the country for humanitarian reasons or if their entry is deemed to be of vital public interest. It will continue to accept new applications from overseas.
The administration of US President Joe Biden introduced the parole program as a way to provide immigrants with legal entry and reduce illegal crossings at the US-Mexico border. The number of illegal immigrants has been falling during the Biden presidency but the jump has slowed in recent months as Biden has issued new border restrictions.
Immigration is a top polling issue in the November 5 election that will pit Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris against Republican Donald Trump, who has criticized the parole program.
The decision not to renew the amnesty program in the four nations follows the plan presented by DHS when the program was launched, said spokesperson Naree Ketudat in a statement.
Immigrants without permission to stay in the US “will be required to leave the United States before the end of their approved parole period or they may be subject to removal proceedings,” Ketudat said.
Some amnesty programs for Ukrainians and Afghans have been extended.
Most of the four countries that are allowed to enter under the CHNV parole program have options to stay in the US.
Many Cubans are able to obtain permanent residency and eventual citizenship under the Cuban Adjustment Act of 1966.
Most Haitians and Venezuelans in the US are eligible for Temporary Protected Status, which provides them with deportation relief and work permits.
All four nationalities can apply for asylum.
