Trump Administration Revokes Legal Protections For Over Half-a-Million Migrants From Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, Venezuela

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced Friday that it will revoke temporary legal protections for more than 532,000 migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela, potentially setting the stage for mass deportations by the end of April, the Associated Press reported.

The revocation applies to individuals who arrived in the US since October 2022 under a humanitarian program, which granted them two-year permits to live and work in the US. These individuals came to the US with financial sponsors and were granted temporary legal status due to political instability and crises in their home countries.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed that the migrants will lose their legal status by April 24, 30 days after the notice is published in the Federal Register, the report stated. According to the report, the DHS further said that those without a lawful basis to remain in the US “must depart” before their parole status expires.

The decision follows an earlier move by the Trump administration to limit the use of humanitarian parole, which allows people fleeing war or political unrest to temporarily reside in the US.

In a statement, the DHS emphasised that “parole is inherently temporary” and does not confer permanent immigration status, noting that individuals affected by this decision must leave the US unless they have other legal grounds to stay.

Lawyers and advocates have already criticised the move, arguing that it could create “needless chaos” and disrupt families.

The revocation affects over half a million migrants who have entered the US since late 2022, under the policy known as CHNV (Cuban, Haitian, Nicaraguan, and Venezuelan).

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