Hundreds of thousands left without legal status

Approximately 530,000 migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela have legally entered the U.S. by air since October 2022 and received two-year grants of "parole." The largest number of arrivals were from Haiti, totaling around 214,000, followed by 117,000 Venezuelans, 111,000 Cubans, and 96,000 Nicaraguans. However, according to Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman, Naree Ketudat, the Biden administration will not renew the temporary status of these migrants when their parole expires. This leaves hundreds of thousands of migrants only several choices - leave the country or face deportation, seek asylum, or find some other legal path to residency. Haitians and Venezuelans in the U.S. may be eligible for Temporary Protected Status, which grants relief from deportation and work permits. Cubans are eligible for green cards and eventual citizenship under the 1966 Cuban Adjustment Act. Nicaraguans, however, do not have a specific path available to them and may have to seek asylum. The decision not to renew the parole program for the four nationalities follows the plan outlined by Homeland Security when the program was launched, spokesperson Ketudat said in a statement. Migrants without permission to remain in the U.S. "will need to depart the United States prior to the expiration of their authorized parole period or may be placed in removal proceedings," Ketudat said.