Tag: mass-parole-scheme

Termination of CHNV Mass-Parole Scheme Explained

Key Points

  • The CHNV mass-parole scheme, allowing inadmissible aliens from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela into the U.S., has been terminated as of March 25, 2025, with parole status ending by April 24, 2025, for those still under it.
  • Research suggests around 532,000 individuals were paroled under this program by January 2025, but they must now depart or seek other immigration statuses.
  • The program was controversial, with debates over its legality and fraud concerns, leading to its termination by the Trump administration.

Background

The CHNV (Cuban, Haitian, Nicaraguan, and Venezuelan) mass-parole scheme was a U.S. immigration policy that allowed inadmissible aliens from these countries to enter temporarily, starting in 2022 and expanded in 2023. It aimed to reduce illegal border crossings by providing a lawful pathway, but faced significant criticism for potentially violating immigration laws.

Current Status

As of April 17, 2025, the program is no longer active, and existing parolees must either leave by April 24, 2025, or apply for other benefits like asylum or Temporary Protected Status (TPS). This change reflects a shift in policy under the Trump administration, prioritizing stricter immigration enforcement.

Survey Note: Detailed Analysis of the CHNV Mass-Parole Scheme and Its Termination

The CHNV (Cuban, Haitian, Nicaraguan, and Venezuelan) mass-parole scheme represents a significant, yet controversial, chapter in recent U.S. immigration policy. Initiated in October 2022 for Venezuelans and expanded in January 2023 to include nationals from Cuba, Haiti, and Nicaragua, this program allowed inadmissible aliens—individuals who would typically be barred from entry under U.S. immigration law—to enter the country temporarily under a categorical parole process. This section provides a comprehensive overview of the program’s operations, its scale, legal and operational challenges, and its recent termination, reflecting the state as of April 17, 2025.

Program Overview and Operations

The CHNV parole program was designed to offer a lawful pathway for up to 30,000 individuals per month from the four specified countries, aiming to discourage illegal border crossings and reduce burdens on border communities. Participants were required to have a U.S.-based sponsor who would provide financial support and pass security background checks, with entry facilitated via air travel to over 50 designated U.S. airports. Upon arrival, individuals were granted a two-year parole period, during which they received work authorization, allowing them to integrate into U.S. communities temporarily.

The process involved submitting Form I-134A, Online Request to be a Supporter and Declaration of Financial Support, through the USCIS website (Fact Sheet: Data From First Six Months). This sponsorship model was intended to ensure financial stability and protect against exploitation, but it faced significant scrutiny for fraud and inadequate vetting, as discussed later.

Scale and Impact

The program saw substantial uptake, with approximately 200,000 inadmissible aliens processed between January and August 2023 alone, according to documents released by the House Committee on Homeland Security (Documents Reveal Airports Used). By January 2025, the total number of parolees reached around 532,000, as noted in the Federal Register’s termination notice (Termination of Parole Processes). This figure underscores the program’s scale, with mid-October 2023 data indicating 1.6 million awaiting travel authorizations, highlighting the overwhelming demand (Documents Reveal Airports Used).

Encounters at Southwest Border Ports of Entry (POEs) also increased significantly, with fiscal year (FY) 2022 seeing 26,250 encounters, rising to 168,010 in FY 2023, and peaking at 352,790 in FY 2024, according to the Federal Register (Termination of Parole Processes). Total encounters at and between POEs also fluctuated, with FY 2022 at ~626,000, FY 2023 at 584,000, and FY 2024 at 535,000, reflecting the program’s impact on border dynamics.

Airport Utilization

The program utilized a network of over 50 airports, with significant processing occurring at major hubs. The following table details the top 15 airports by the number of inadmissible aliens processed from January to August 2023, based on House Committee documents:

RankAirport LocationNumber of Inadmissible Aliens
1Miami, Fla.91,821
2Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.60,461
3New York City, N.Y.14,827
4Houston, Texas7,923
5Orlando, Fla.6,043
6Los Angeles, Calif.3,271
7Tampa, Fla.3,237
8Dallas, Texas2,256
9San Francisco, Calif.2,052
10Atlanta, Ga.1,796
11Newark, N.J.1,498
12Washington, D.C.1,472
13Chicago, Ill.496
14Las Vegas, Nev.483
15Austin, Texas171

Other airports included international locations like Aruba, Dublin (Ireland), and Toronto (Canada), illustrating the global reach of the processing network (Documents Reveal Airports Used).

Legal and Operational Challenges

The CHNV program faced significant legal and operational criticism. Critics, including members of Congress like Rep. Mark Green, R-Tennessee, argued it violated the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), which limits parole to case-by-case determinations for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit (Chairman Green Blasts DHS Decision). The House Committee on Homeland Security highlighted that all paroled individuals were, by definition, inadmissible, with no legal basis to enter before parole, raising concerns about legality (Documents Reveal Airports Used).

Operational challenges included fraud in the sponsorship process, with reports of social security numbers and addresses being used hundreds of times, and 24 of the 1,000 most used numbers belonging to deceased individuals, as noted in a Fox News report cited by Chairman Green (Chairman Green on DHS Temporarily Halting). This led to temporary halts in the program, such as in August 2024, due to fraud concerns (DHS Pauses Its Illegal ‘CHNV Parole’ Program).

Additionally, there were reports of security risks, such as a Haitian national entering via CHNV being arrested in March 2024 for aggravated rape in Rockland, Massachusetts, highlighting vetting issues (Documents Reveal Airports Used).

Termination and Current Status

On March 25, 2025, the DHS, under the Trump administration, officially terminated the CHNV parole programs, effective immediately for new entries, with parole status for existing participants set to end on April 24, 2025, unless individually extended by the Secretary (Termination of Parole Processes). This decision was part of broader executive actions, including Executive Orders 14165, 14159, and 14150, aimed at ending categorical parole programs (Termination of Parole Processes).

As of April 17, 2025, the program is no longer active, and approximately 532,000 parolees must either depart the U.S. by April 24, 2025, or seek alternative immigration benefits, such as asylum or TPS, to remain lawfully. DHS intends to prioritize removal for those who have not filed for another immigration benefit and do not have a pending or approved application for beneficiary status (Termination of Parole Processes). Employment authorization, previously granted under 8 CFR 274a.12(c)(11), will be revoked upon parole termination, affecting work permits (Termination of Parole Processes).

Implications and Ongoing Issues

The termination has significant humanitarian and legal implications. Refugees International highlighted that many parolees, particularly from crisis-ridden countries like Venezuela and Haiti, may face deportation to unsafe conditions, potentially leading to exploitation in underground economies (Setting the Record Straight on CHNV). A survey by Refugees International in late 2024 found that most of over 400 CHNV parolees wanted but had not yet applied for other benefits, needing support to navigate options (Setting the Record Straight on CHNV).

Legal challenges and advocacy efforts are ongoing, with groups like Welcome.US recommending parolees seek advice from immigration attorneys to explore alternatives like TPS or asylum (Parole Status to be Terminated). The Federal Register notice serves as constructive notice, with individual notifications via USCIS online accounts, but confusion persists, especially given reports of erroneous notices sent to other parole programs like Uniting for Ukraine (Changes to Humanitarian Parole Programs).

Statistical Context

To provide further context, the following table summarizes key statistics from the program’s operation and its impact:

MetricValue
Total Parolees (Oct 19, 2022 – Jan 22, 2025)~532,000
Encounters at Southwest Border POEs (FY 2024)352,790
Total Encounters at/between POEs (FY 2024)535,000
Affirmative Asylum Applications by Parolees~75,000
Forms I-134/I-134A Filed Since Oct 2022~2,970,000 (2,140,000 pending)

These figures, sourced from the Federal Register (Termination of Parole Processes), illustrate the program’s scale and its contribution to the immigration court backlog, which increased by 44% from FY 2023 to FY 2024, reaching 3.6 million cases.

Conclusion

The CHNV mass-parole scheme, while providing a temporary solution for inadmissible aliens from crisis-affected countries, became a focal point of immigration policy debate due to legal, security, and fraud concerns. Its termination on March 25, 2025, marks a significant policy shift, with ongoing implications for the approximately 532,000 parolees now facing departure or the need to secure alternative legal status. As of April 17, 2025, the program is defunct, and its legacy continues to shape discussions on humanitarian immigration and border security.

Key Citations