The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is temporarily stopping the processing of parole applications for people from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. The parole program allows eligible individuals to stay in the U.S. for up to two years with work authorization. It is meant for people from countries facing serious issues like armed conflict or environmental disasters.
The pause is due to worries about the legitimacy of financial sponsors who support the applicants. The program requires applicants to have a financial sponsor, but there are concerns about the accuracy of some of these sponsors. It is not clear how long the pause will last.
Since President Biden expanded the parole program for these countries, about 500,000 people have arrived in the U.S. through June 2024. The program helps people enter the U.S. legally outside of the asylum process and aims to reduce illegal entry. DHS has temporarily stopped new authorizations while they check the backgrounds of sponsors.
DHS said there are no security or public safety issues with those who have already entered the U.S. under this program; the concern is only with the sponsors. DHS plans to resume processing as soon as possible with better safeguards in place. The Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) discovered the pause and noted an internal report that found potential fraud with some sponsors. The report mentioned that out of over 100,000 filings, 3,218 sponsors were flagged, and some Social Security numbers used were linked to deceased individuals.
The parole program for Venezuelans started in October 2022, and Cuba, Haiti, and Nicaragua were added in January 2023. The U.S. accepts up to 30,000 people per month from each eligible country. As of June 2024, the program has helped 194,000 Haitians, 104,000 Cubans, 86,000 Nicaraguans, and 110,000 Venezuelans.
Since the program began, illegal crossings from these countries have significantly decreased. For example, arrests for Haitians dropped to 304 from January to June 2024, compared to 18,000 in September 2021.
As always, if you have questions about parole or any other immigration-related issue, contact us. We work with our clients to ensure they get the right advice to stay always in compliance.