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The administration of Donald Trump is in the preparatory phase to revoke the legal status of many migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela, who entered the United States legally under the mandate of former President Joe Biden.
The measure would affect more than 530,000 people who arrived in the country through the temporary stay program known as "humanitarian parole," according to internal documents reviewed by CBS News.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has developed a proposal, outlined in an unpublished notice, that seeks the definitive cancellation of the CHNV program, an initiative by the Biden administration aimed at facilitating the legal entry of migrants from these four countries.
The policy allowed their entrance as long as they had sponsors in the U.S. who committed to supporting them financially.
The Biden administration argued that the CHNV program discouraged illegal immigration by providing a legal alternative to enter the country.
However, President Trump suspended the initiative shortly after taking office, claiming it constituted an improper use of parole authority in immigration, a mechanism used by the previous administration to admit these migrants and allow them to apply for work permits.
According to the new measure, the Trump administration would revoke the parole status of those who entered the U.S. under the CHNV policy and place them in deportation proceedings if they have not applied for or obtained another immigration benefit, such as asylum, a green card, or Temporary Protected Status (TPS).
Uncertainty about the future of the beneficiaries
It is still not known exactly how many of the migrants welcomed under this program have applied for other immigration benefits.
It has not been specified when the new measure would be implemented.
Those whose parole classification is revoked and who do not have another immigration status will lose the right to work legally in the United States.
Additionally, they will receive notifications to appear before an immigration court, the first step in a deportation process.
At the beginning of this month, the Trump administration authorized immigration agents, including those from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), to carry out expedited deportations of migrants admitted under various Biden-era policies, including the CHNV program.
Possible avenues of protection for migrants
Some individuals benefiting from the CHNV might find protection through other programs.
Cubans have an exclusive pathway to become permanent residents under the Cuban Adjustment Act, a legacy of the Cold War.
Additionally, any migrant can apply for asylum, but this requires demonstrating that they are fleeing persecution for political, religious, or other reasons, which is a demanding legal standard.
Nevertheless, the fear among the beneficiaries of humanitarian parole persists.
In the case of Haitians and Venezuelans, for example, they are enrolled in Temporary Protected Status (TPS), which provides them with temporary protection against deportation and work permits.
However, TPS has also been criticized by the Trump administration, which views it as an abusive policy.
In fact, this week the administration rescinded an extension of TPS for Venezuelans, which could leave many migrants from that country without protection.
Reactions and criticisms of the measure
The Department of Homeland Security has not commented on the proposal, about which little is currently known.
However, Tom Jawetz, a former immigration official at DHS under the Biden administration, harshly criticized the plan: "Targeting individuals who arrived in the United States with sponsors and continue to follow the rules is not only gratuitously cruel, but it will make our system more chaotic."
Trump has used immigration policy as a key pillar of his governance strategy, tightening measures against both illegal and legal immigration.
Under his leadership, decisions have been made that have restricted the U.S. asylum system, granting more authority to ICE agents to take action against undocumented immigrants and allowing the use of Pentagon resources for border control tasks, including the deployment of military aircraft for deportations.
A setback in humanitarian policies
The dismantling of Biden's immigration policy has been a priority for Trump.
In addition to the CHNV program, the administration has suspended other initiatives, such as the mobile application CBP One that allowed migrants in Mexico to schedule an appointment to apply for asylum at official border entry points.
The processes that allowed the admission of Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion, Afghans escaping the Taliban regime, and Central American children seeking to reunite with their families in the United States have also been eliminated.
Like the CHNV program, these initiatives relied on the authority of the immigration parole board, which is currently under review by the Trump administration to determine its potential elimination.
The measure marks a drastic shift in U.S. immigration policy and could significantly impact thousands of migrants who arrived in the country hoping to build a better life under the humanitarian policies implemented by the previous administration.
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