The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has started sending termination notices to hundreds of thousands of migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela who were admitted to the United States through the Biden administration’s humanitarian parole program. The program, which began in October 2022, allowed migrants from these four countries to enter the U.S. legally for up to two years, as long as they had a verified financial sponsor.
Now, just two years later, many are being told their temporary legal status and work authorization are no longer valid.
According to DHS, nearly 532,000 individuals entered the U.S. under the program in hopes of escaping political instability, violence, and economic collapse in their home countries. Recipients of the termination letters — many of which are being distributed via email — are being instructed to depart the U.S. voluntarily using the CBP One mobile app. The agency has promised $1,000 in financial aid to support repatriation upon their return home.
But key questions remain unanswered. DHS has yet to explain how it will ensure that the aid reaches returnees or how it plans to track individuals who choose not to leave voluntarily. Immigration advocates say the lack of clarity is alarming — and potentially dangerous.
This policy reversal follows a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that sided with the Trump administration’s position on humanitarian parole, essentially opening the door for its dismantling. Former President Donald Trump has been vocal in his opposition to the program, calling it a “loophole” for illegal immigration and pledging to eliminate similar pathways if re-elected.
Critics of the decision say it punishes people who followed every legal step. Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, president of the nonprofit Global Refuge, called the policy shift “cruel and counterproductive.”
“These individuals did everything right,” Vignarajah said. “They underwent background checks, paid for their travel, found U.S.-based sponsors, and have been working legally. Now they are being stripped of their dignity and stability.”
Legal experts and civil rights organizations are now encouraging affected migrants to seek legal counsel as soon as possible to explore other potential forms of relief, including asylum and family-based petitions.
As the immigration debate intensifies ahead of the 2024 election, the fate of hundreds of thousands of migrants now hangs in limbo — with families caught in the crossfire of shifting policies and political rhetoric.
