Trump Administration Implements Indefinite Freeze on Immigration Applications
This program was designed by the Biden administration to provide a legal pathway for migrants to access other benefits and immigration programs, such as Temporary Protected Status (TPS) or asylum. Feb 19, 2025 Photo: Cubadebate
February 19, 2025 Hour: 6:53 pm
The decision, which comes amid growing political and social tensions surrounding immigration, affects over half a million people who, through the humanitarian parole program, were able to enter the U.S. after demonstrating they had a sponsor in the country.
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The government of former President Donald Trump has decided to indefinitely freeze immigration applications for individuals who entered the country through programs established by his successor, Joe Biden.
This measure directly impacts thousands of migrants from various Latin American countries and Ukraine, who benefited from initiatives such as CHNV (for citizens of Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela), “Uniting for Ukraine,” and the family reunification process for Cubans, Ecuadorians, and Colombians.
The decision, which comes amid growing political and social tensions surrounding immigration, affects over half a million people who, through the humanitarian parole program, were able to enter the U.S. after demonstrating they had a sponsor in the country.
This program was designed by the Biden administration to provide a legal pathway for migrants to access other benefits and immigration programs, such as Temporary Protected Status (TPS) or asylum.
Immigration experts warn that this freeze not only limits beneficiaries’ opportunities to change their immigration status but also creates an atmosphere of uncertainty and fear. Lynden Melmed, former chief legal counsel for USCIS, emphasized that if the government decides to cancel parole, these individuals could face deportation.
This move by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) comes at a critical time, just one month after Trump assumed the presidency and revoked parole for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans.
The measure reflects a return to the more restrictive immigration policies that characterized the Trump administration, contrasting with the previous Biden administration’s efforts to regularize and protect migrants in vulnerable situations.
Autor: MLM
Fuente: EFE
