U.S. will not renew legal status for hundreds of thousands of migrants

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Biden administration will not renew a temporary humanitarian entry program for hundreds of thousands of migrants with U.S. sponsors who arrived in recent years, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said on Friday.

Some 530,000 migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela have entered the U.S. by air since October 2022 and received two-year grants under the “parole” program that will begin to expire in coming weeks.

However, many of those migrants could remain in the country under other programs.

The parole program allows migrants with existing U.S. sponsors to enter the country for humanitarian reasons or if their entry is deemed a significant public benefit. It will continue to accept new applications from those abroad.

U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration launched the parole program as a way to provide migrants avenues to enter legally and decrease illegal crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border. Record numbers of migrants were caught crossing illegally during Biden’s presidency but crossings have plummeted in recent months as Biden rolled out new border restrictions.

Immigration is a top voter issue in the Nov. 5 election that will pit Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris against Republican Donald Trump, who has criticized the parole program.

The decision not to renew the parole program for the four nationalities follows the plan outlined by DHS when the program was launched, spokesperson Naree Ketudat said in a statement.

Migrants without permission to remain in U.S. “will need to depart the United States prior to the expiration of their authorized parole period or may be placed in removal proceedings,” Ketudat said.

Other parole programs for Ukrainians and Afghans have been extended.

Most of the four nationalities allowed entry under the so-called CHNV parole program have avenues to stay in the U.S.

Many Cubans are eligible for permanent residence and eventual citizenship under the 1966 Cuban Adjustment Act.

Most Haitians and Venezuelans in the U.S. are eligible for Temporary Protected Status, which grants them deportation relief and work permits.

All four nationalities could apply for asylum.

(Reporting by Ted Hesson in Washington and Kristina Cooke in San Francisco; Editing by Rosalba O’Brien)