In a sweeping move that’s sending shockwaves through immigrant communities, the U.S. government announced on Friday it is ending legal protections for over 500,000 migrants—leaving them with just weeks to either find another path to stay or prepare for departure.
The decision affects approximately 532,000 individuals from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela, who had entered the country through a humanitarian parole program introduced by the Biden administration in late 2022 and expanded in early 2023. The program, known as CHNV (Processes for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans), allowed up to 30,000 migrants from these four countries to enter the U.S. each month, granting them legal stay for up to two years.
According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the affected individuals will lose their status 30 days after the new directive is officially published in the Federal Register, which is expected to happen on Tuesday. That sets the deadline for many to leave by April 24, unless they can secure a different immigration status.
“Parole is inherently temporary,” DHS stated in the order, emphasizing that the program never offered a permanent path to residency or citizenship. “It does not constitute admission into the United States.”
The announcement aligns with President Donald Trump’s renewed push for aggressive immigration enforcement as he sets the tone for his campaign. Trump has openly vowed to launch what he calls the largest deportation effort in American history, targeting those he claims arrived through “loopholes” or temporary programs.
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Immigration advocates, however, are raising alarms. Organizations like Welcome.US, which help migrants navigate the U.S. system, are urging those affected to consult immigration attorneys immediately.
“This is a critical moment. People who’ve built lives here, who fled violence and instability, are once again in limbo,” one advocate said. “Many of these individuals have jobs, children in school, and deep ties to their communities.”
The CHNV program had been championed by President Joe Biden as a humane and orderly alternative to the dangerous journeys migrants often take across the southern border. For many fleeing authoritarian regimes or collapsing economies, the program offered a rare glimmer of hope. But from the start, officials stressed it was a temporary measure, not a gateway to permanent residency.
Still, the reality for those affected is anything but technical. For families who arrived hoping for safety and stability, the looming deadline has created a wave of fear and confusion.
Adding to the tension, Trump recently utilized a wartime law to deport more than 200 alleged Venezuelan gang members to El Salvador—whose government has offered to detain migrants, and even U.S. citizens, at cut-rate costs.
As the clock ticks down, hundreds of thousands now face a heart-wrenching choice: uproot their lives once again or scramble for a narrow legal pathway in a system known for its complexity and long wait times.
For many, the future is uncertain—and time is running out.
