U.S. to revoke legal status of more than a half-million migrants, urges them to self deport
The Trump administration will be revoking the legal status of hundreds of thousands of Latin American and Haitian migrants welcomed into the U.S. under a Biden-era sponsorship process, urging them to self-deport or face arrest and removal by deportation agents.
The termination of their work permits and deportation protections under an immigration authority known as parole will take effect in late April, 30 days after March 25, according to a notice posted by the federal government.
The move will affect immigrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela who flew to the U.S. under a Biden administration program, known as CHNV, that was designed to reduce illegal immigration at the U.S.-Mexico border by giving would-be migrants legal migration avenues.
A total of 532,000 migrants entered the U.S. under that policy, which was paused soon after President Trump took office, though it's unclear how many have been able to secure another status that will allow them to stay in the country legally.
CBS News first reported in early February that the Trump administration was planning to revoke the legal status of individuals who entered the U.S. under the CHNV process.
The Department of Homeland Security said it will seek the arrest and deportation of those subject to the policy change if they fail to depart the U.S. in the next 30 days. Officials are urging migrants to use the newly repurposed CBP Home smartphone app to register for self-deportation.
But DHS said it retains the authority to target migrants who arrived under this program before the 30-day period lapses. Officials say those prioritized for arrest will include migrants who have failed to apply for another immigration benefit like asylum or a green card.
In a statement, DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said the migrants allowed into the U.S. under the CHNV process were "loosely vetted," and argued the program undercut American workers.
"The termination of the CHNV parole programs, and the termination of parole for those who exploited it, is a return to common-sense policies, a return to public safety, and a return to America First," McLaughlin added.
Friday's announcement is the latest effort by the Trump administration to discontinue humanitarian-based immigration programs that allow migrants to enter or stay in the country with the government's permission.
The CHNV program in question was hailed by the Biden administration as a successful policy that reduced illegal border crossings by migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and, to a lesser extent, Venezuela. But Republicans denounced it as an effort to circumvent the limits Congress placed on legal immigration, and noted that the program had some recorded instances of fraud.
The Biden administration last fall made a decision not to allow CHNV beneficiaries to renew their two-year work permits under the program, saying they could apply for other benefits, like asylum and Temporary Protected Status. That prospect, however, changed dramatically when Mr. Trump took office.
His administration has already announced plans to phase out the TPS programs for Haitians and Venezuelans. It also suspended all pending immigration benefit applications filed by those who arrived under CHNV, citing concerns about fraud and vetting.
