Biden administration won’t extend legal status for certain migrants from four countries

The Biden administration won’t extend legal permissions for certain migrants from Nicaragua, Cuba, Venezuela and Haiti provided through a temporary humanitarian program designed to curb illegal border crossings, requiring them to seek other legal means to remain in the United States, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

The Biden administration won’t extend legal permissions for certain migrants from Nicaragua, Cuba, Venezuela and Haiti provided through a temporary humanitarian program designed to curb illegal border crossings, requiring them to seek other legal means to remain in the United States, according to the Department of Homeland Security. The decision comes nearly two years after the administration rolled out a program geared toward Venezuelans seeking to come to the United States, allowing them to temporarily live and work in the US as a way to mitigate surges at the border. The program required that these migrants have a sponsor in the US, undergo screening and vetting, and complete vaccinations. The administration later extended the program to Nicaraguans, Cubans and Haitians, describing it as a way for migrants to come to the US in an orderly manner. But the program became a political flashpoint as Republicans have argued the administration was misusing parole authority and have frequently cited the program in their criticism of President Joe Biden’s immigration policies. By the end of August, nearly 530,000 Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans had flown into the US under the policy, according to federal data. The program is still available to new applicants from the four countries, though the administration briefly paused it this summer over concerns about fraud. Homeland Security officials maintain the program was intended to be temporary, providing those who arrived the opportunity to apply for other legal status while in the United States. The administration didn’t guarantee the program would be extended, though it did allow re-parole for Ukrainians and Afghans under similar programs.