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Migrants from these countries face US ouster within 30 days after Trump's latest move
This new order affects those who arrived in the US under the humanitarian parole programme since October 2022.
Donald Trump's Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on Friday that it will revoke legal protections for over five lakh immigrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela, setting the stage for potential deportation in about a month.
This new order affects those who arrived in the US under the humanitarian parole programme since October 2022, with two-year permits allowing them to live and work in the country, according to an Associated Press report.
When will individuals lose their legal status
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem stated that the affected individuals will lose their legal status on April 24, 30 days after the publication of the notice in the Federal Register.
The move impacts approximately 5,32,000 people from these four nations – Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela – who had entered the US with financial sponsors and were granted temporary status under the Biden administration’s parole programme.
The decision follows a broader shift in US immigration policy and echoes an earlier Donald Trump administration move aimed at curbing what it viewed as the "abuse" of the humanitarian parole programme. This legal tool has historically been used to allow individuals from countries facing war or political instability to temporarily enter and reside in the US, according to the AP report.
Legal challenges
The Biden administration had initially allowed up to 30,000 people per month from these four countries to enter legally for two years, with eligibility to work. However, the DHS now states that those without a legal basis to remain in the US “must depart” before their parole status expires.
While beneficiaries could stay until their parole ends, applications for asylum and other immigration benefits were halted under the current administration.
The policy has already faced legal challenges. A group of American citizens and immigrants filed a lawsuit seeking to reinstate the programme, arguing the decision was unfair and detrimental to families and communities. Karen Tumlin, founder and director of Justice Action Center, which is part of the lawsuit, described the move as “reckless, cruel, and counterproductive.”
The new policy has major implications, particularly for countries like Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela, which have been resistant to accepting deportation flights from the US. Meanwhile, Haiti has been in turmoil, complicating deportation efforts, even though the country has generally accepted many flights.
Since late 2022, more than half a million people have entered the US under this programme, which was designed to provide a legal pathway for migration while also cracking down on illegal crossings at the border.
