Audio By Carbonatix
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 the 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.
Latest Stories
-
Court strikes out application to dismiss East Legon property caseÂ
21 minutes -
Dozens walk out as Google boss Pichai addresses Stanford graduates
24 minutes -
NPP Constituency Chairman petitions regional executives over alleged election irregularities in Afigya Sekyere East
39 minutes -
Flood prevention requires collective action, not seasonal reactions
50 minutes -
China detains two leaders of influential underground church
51 minutes -
African brands gain modestly in consumer admiration, but global giants still dominate
52 minutes -
Ghana has only two functional MRI machines in public hospitals – MahamaCares Assessment
1 hour -
IMF chief says no global slowdown in sight yet, but risks high
1 hour -
Advancing Ghana’s position in Global Business Services at the Executive Roundtable in London
1 hour -
Trump says the US and Iran have signed a deal to end the war
1 hour -
Brazil woman dies after rope-jumping instructors fail to attach cord
2 hours -
Report on Big Push procurement allegations to be published on Tuesday – Kwakye Ofosu
2 hours -
Roads Ministry did not breach PPA laws in Big Push contracts – Kwakye Ofosu
2 hours -
Gov’t defends single-source procurement in Big Push contracts, cites urgent national considerations
2 hours -
Fox to buy Roku streaming firm in $22bn deal
2 hours