The Biden administration has reportedly decided against extending parole for tens of thousands of Venezuelan migrants who came to the U.S. through a controversial Biden-era travel program that was temporarily halted due to discoveries of fraud in the program earlier this year.
Officials have decided not to extend parole for Venezuelan nationals who came into the U.S. via the parole processes for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans (CHNV), according to a CBS News report.
The program was first implemented for Venezuelans in October 2022 and extended to the other nationalities in January 2023. It allows migrants to use the CBP One app to enter the U.S. on temporary parole and receive a work permit if they pass background checks and have a sponsor.
U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas speaks at the daily press briefing at the White House on July 15, 2024, in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Through the end of August 2024, nearly 530,000 Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans arrived lawfully on commercial flights and were granted parole under these processes, nearly 117,000 Venezuelans.
The program has received furious opposition from Republicans, some of whom have described the administration as running migrant flights, but under this program, migrants must organize their own travel.
However, the program was paused briefly in August when an internal report unearthed large amounts of fraud in applications of those sponsoring the program. It later unfroze the program after installing what it said were additional vetting and protections against fraud.
BIDEN ADMIN FREEZES CONTROVERSIAL MIGRANT FLIGHT PROGRAM AFTER FRAUD REVELATIONS
It was expected that the administration would extend the parole status, as it has done with other parole populations, but CBS reported that DHS has decided against it, and Venezuelans would be told to either apply for another immigration status or leave the country — although Venezuela is currently not accepting deportations from the U.S. It is also unclear if the administration intends to stop bringing in new migrants via the program. DHS did not respond to a request for comment.
If they arrived before July 2023, they may be eligible for Temporary Protected Status, which the Biden administration redesignated and extended for Venezuelans last year.
The status of the other three nationalities will begin to expire in January next year if the administration makes a similar decision not to extend their parole status.
The move will likely infuriate immigration activists, who have cried foul as the administration has moved away from more liberal policies as the election approaches. The administration threw its weight behind a bipartisan border security bill this year that would have allowed for a limit to be placed on asylum entries and given additional funding to border agencies.
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Border Patrol picks up a group of asylum seekers from an aid camp at the US-Mexico border near Sasabe, Arizona, on Wednesday, March 13, 2024. (Justin Hamel/Getty Images)
When that bill failed to pass, President Biden signed an order limiting asylum entries in June, which was followed by a sharp drop in arrivals at the border by more than 50%, leading to numbers lower than anything during the current administration.
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The administration has also touted an increase in removals. Biden followed that up with a “parole in place” scheme for illegal immigrant spouses of U.S. citizens. But in the last week, he announced new measures to prevent that limit on arrivals at the border from being lifted.
It comes as Vice President Harris battles with former President Donald Trump over who is the tougher candidate on border security. Harris has accused Trump of failing to back the border security bill for political reasons, while Trump has accused Harris of being responsible for the crisis at the border.
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Polling shows it to be a top 2024 issue for voters, with many polls showing Trump holding a significant lead over Harris on the topic.