A federal appeals court has ruled in favor of the Trump administration’s decision to end the CHNV humanitarian parole program, a move that could impact more than 430,000 migrants from Haiti, Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela who had been granted temporary legal status in the United States.
The decision, issued on September 12 by the First Circuit Court of Appeals, overturns a lower court order that had blocked the program’s termination. The ruling opens the door to revocations of work authorizations and legal residency permits for thousands of migrants who fled dire conditions in their home countries.
Court Decision
In an opinion written by Judge Gustavo Gelpí Jr., the three-judge panel concluded that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has broad discretion to terminate parole programs without conducting individual case reviews. This means that all beneficiaries of the CHNV program could lose their temporary protections at once.
Background on the CHNV Program
The CHNV initiative, launched by the Biden administration in October 2022 and expanded in January 2023, allowed up to 30,000 migrants per month from the four nations to legally enter the U.S. with a sponsor after completing security vetting. Participants were granted two years of parole status, which included work permits and protection from deportation.
The program was designed as an alternative to irregular border crossings, aiming to provide safe, legal, and orderly migration pathways.
Trump Administration’s Actions
Upon taking office in January 2025, President Donald Trump issued an executive order dismantling categorical parole programs, arguing that they constituted executive overreach and placed strain on U.S. resources.
Following this order, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem published a notice in the Federal Register on March 25, formally terminating the CHNV program and requiring participants to depart the U.S. within 30 days or face removal proceedings.
Legal Challenges
The policy faced immediate legal pushback. Advocacy groups, including the Haitian Bridge Alliance, filed a lawsuit in Massachusetts federal court, arguing that blanket termination violated due process and disregarded the humanitarian reasons for granting parole.
In April 2025, U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani sided with the plaintiffs, issuing a nationwide injunction and ordering case-by-case reviews before termination.
The Trump administration appealed. While the First Circuit initially declined an emergency stay, the U.S. Supreme Court granted one on May 30 in a 7–2 decision, allowing the administration to proceed with winding down the program while litigation continued.
What’s Next
With the First Circuit ruling, the Trump administration has secured a key legal victory, reinforcing its authority to unilaterally end parole programs. Unless overturned by further appeals, the decision could lead to the deportation of hundreds of thousands of migrants, many of whom have lived and worked legally in the U.S. since 2022.
Advocacy groups are expected to continue their legal fight, while communities across the U.S. brace for the potential humanitarian and economic consequences of mass removals.
