The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has published a notice in the Federal Register terminating the parole program for nationals of Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela (CHNV) effective April 24, 2025.
Background
The parole program was established by President Biden in 2022 for Venezuelan nationals, and it was expanded in 2023 to add nationals of Cuba, Haiti, and Nicaragua. These programs allowed nationals of these countries to request advance authorization to travel to the US to be considered at US ports of entry for parole into the United States.
The claimed goals of the CHNV parole programs were to discourage illegal entries by providing a pathway for certain individuals to enter the US for a temporary stay of up to two years, and to reduce burdens on border communities by requiring travel directly to US interior locations.
In October 2024, the Biden administration declined to extend the 2-year parole period, indicating that paroled individuals could apply for other immigration benefits during the period of parole.
Termination of CHNV Parole
Upon taking office in January 2025, President Trump ended all new CHNV parole program travel to the US. Pursuant to the notice published in the Federal Register on March 25, 2025, individuals paroled into the United States under the CHNV programs will have their period of parole terminated on April 24 if it has not already expired. The parole period for the earliest entrants under the CHNV programs would have expired in October 2024.
More than 530,000 Cuban, Haitian, Nicaraguan, and Venezuelan nationals entered the United States pursuant to the CHNV parole programs. Those who do not have a lawful basis to remain in the US after their parole is terminated are expected to depart the United States or face potential removal.
The Federal Register notice indicates that DHS will prioritize removal of those who:
- Have not, prior to publication (March 25, 2025), properly filed a request for an immigration benefit to obtain a lawful basis for remaining in the US; and
- Are not the beneficiary of an immigration benefit request properly filed by someone else on their behalf.
Individuals who have already obtained a lawful immigration status or other basis for remaining in the United States are not required to depart.
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