Trump Administration Moves to Revoke Legal Status of 530,000 Migrants
The Trump administration has announced plans to revoke the temporary legal status of approximately 530,000 migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela, according to a Federal Register notice published on Friday. This decision marks the latest step in President Donald Trump’s ongoing efforts to tighten immigration policies.
The new rule, set to take effect on April 24, will terminate a two-year “parole” program initiated under former President Joe Biden. This program allowed migrants from these countries to enter the United States by air if they had U.S.-based sponsors.
Since taking office, Trump, a Republican, has intensified immigration enforcement measures, including efforts to deport record numbers of undocumented migrants. He has criticized the parole programs introduced by his Democratic predecessor, arguing that they overstepped federal immigration laws. In an executive order issued on January 20, Trump called for the termination of these programs.
On March 6, Trump also indicated that he would decide “very soon” whether to revoke the parole status of approximately 240,000 Ukrainians who fled to the U.S. during the conflict with Russia. His comments followed a Reuters report suggesting that his administration planned to strip Ukrainians of their parole status as early as April.
Biden’s parole program for Venezuelans was launched in 2022 and later expanded to include Cubans, Haitians, and Nicaraguans in 2023. The program was designed to address high levels of illegal immigration from these countries, all of which have strained diplomatic and political relations with the United States.
The Trump administration’s decision to revoke the legal status of these migrants could leave many vulnerable to deportation if they remain in the U.S. It is unclear how many individuals who entered under the parole program now have alternative forms of legal protection or status.
In the Federal Register notice, which is set to be formally published on Monday, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security stated that revoking the parole status would streamline the process of placing these migrants into a fast-track deportation system known as “expedited removal.”
Under a Trump-era policy implemented in January, expedited removal can be applied to certain migrants who have been in the U.S. for two years or less. This policy is part of the administration’s broader strategy to reduce immigration and enforce stricter border controls.
The move has sparked concerns among immigrant advocates, who argue that it could disrupt the lives of hundreds of thousands of individuals and families who have built lives in the U.S. under the parole program.
