Trump Administration Revokes Legal Status for Over 530,000 Migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela

Trump Administration Revokes Legal Status for Over 530,000 Migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela

Trump Administration Revokes Legal Status for Over 530,000 Migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela

The Department of Homeland Security has declared its intention to terminate legal protections for more than half a million individuals from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. As a result, these migrants may face deportation within the next month. Secretary Kristi Noem has announced that this policy will take effect on April 24, putting these migrants at risk of deportation around that time.

This directive, issued on Friday, affects approximately 532,000 people from the four nations who entered the United States after October 2022.

These individuals were granted two-year permits to reside and work in the U.S. under the sponsorship of financial supporters. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem stated that their legal status will be rescinded on April 24 or 30 days following the notice’s publication in the Federal Register.

The policy shift directly impacts those who arrived in the U.S. under the humanitarian parole program. This follows a previous decision by the Trump administration to end what it labeled as the "broad abuse" of humanitarian parole—a long-established legal mechanism that has allowed individuals from war-torn or politically unstable nations to enter and stay in the U.S. temporarily.

President Donald Trump, during his campaign, pledged to expel millions of undocumented individuals from the U.S. Since taking office, he has also dismantled legal avenues that enable immigrants to enter and remain in the country.

Legal Dispute

Before this recent directive, migrants under the humanitarian parole program could remain in the U.S. until their parole period ended. However, the government had already stopped processing their applications for asylum, visas, and other legal pathways that could have extended their stay.

The administration’s move has already sparked legal battles in federal courts.

A coalition of American citizens and immigrants has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, challenging the termination of humanitarian parole and advocating for the restoration of the programs benefiting these four nationalities.

Additionally, the Trump administration has also revoked a contract that provided legal assistance to unaccompanied migrant children arriving in the U.S. This decision has led to concerns that these children will now have to navigate the country’s complex legal system without proper guidance.