Biden administration

Haitians, Cubans, Venezuelans and Nicaraguans face deportation as U.S. ends humanitarian parole program

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Haitians, Cubans, Venezuelans and Nicaraguans face deportation as U.S. ends humanitarian parole program
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The U.S. government has announced that it will not renew the humanitarian parole program for nationals of Haiti, Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua, according to Department of Homeland Security officials. They confirmed the decision to McClatchy and the Miami Herald.

Since its implementation in 2022, the parole program has allowed more than 500,000 migrants to stay temporarily in the United States. For Haitians and other migrants who arrived as part of this initiative, failure to secure legal status through other means will lead to deportation.

Many of these humanitarian paroles are set to expire soon—some as early as this month for Venezuelans and by January 2025 for Haitians, Cubans, and Nicaraguans. Without the option of renewal, migrants will need to seek legal pathways such as asylum or Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to remain in the country. 

The program was launched two years ago as part of the Biden administration’s effort to manage undocumented migration at the U.S.-Mexico border. Migrants were granted parole to enter legally, contingent on passing health and background checks and having financial sponsorship. 

However, the Biden administration’s decision to discontinue the program, as reported by the Miami Herald, comes amid political pressure from Republican lawmakers and heightened immigration debates during the 2024 election cycle. The looming end of the program now puts these migrants—many of whom fled political turmoil and economic instability in their home countries—at risk of being forcibly removed from the United States.

Haitians, in particular, face a dangerous situation if deported. Haiti is grappling with escalating violence, armed gang control in major cities like Port-au-Prince, and a worsening humanitarian crisis. 

On Thursday, armed bandits from the Savien gang killed more than 70 people during an attack in the locality of the Pont Sondé, located in the commune of Saint-Marc in the Artibonite department of Haiti. Thousands of people have fled their homes, according to a statement by Thameen Al-Kheetan, spokesperson for the UN Human Rights Office in Haiti.

Advocates argue that repatriation under these conditions would endanger lives, but without another legal status, their options are limited.

Meanwhile, Cubans may still be able to benefit from the Cuban Adjustment Act, which offers a path to a green card, but the outlook for Venezuelans and Nicaraguans is less certain. Despite the expiration of this parole program, the U.S. continues similar initiatives for migrants from Ukraine and Afghanistan, reflecting the contentious nature of U.S. immigration policy.

For the over 500,000 migrants affected, the race is now on to find alternative legal routes to remain in the U.S. as deportation becomes a real possibility in the coming months.

The post Haitians, Cubans, Venezuelans and Nicaraguans face deportation as U.S. ends humanitarian parole program appeared first on The Haitian Times.


Haitians, Cubans, Venezuelans and Nicaraguans face deportation as U.S. ends humanitarian parole program was first posted on October 5, 2024 at 11:55 am.

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