Washington, DC – The Trump administration announced plans to terminate a parole program for nationals of Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela (CHNV), a move immigration experts warn could reverse progress in reducing unauthorized border crossings from these countries.
According to a Federal Register notice set for publication on March 25, the program will end April 24, with all active parole grants—even those not yet expired—being revoked. The decision has drawn sharp criticism from the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), which called the program a humane and effective alternative to harsh border enforcement measures.
A “Breakthrough” Policy Scrapped
AILA President Kelli Stump condemned the move as a “political stunt,” arguing that the CHNV parole program provided a legal, orderly pathway for migrants fleeing dire conditions in their home countries.
“Instead of spending hundreds of millions on razor wire, private prisons, and military troops, this program showed we could manage the border humanely by offering a legal alternative,” Stump said. “Those who followed the rules—securing U.S. sponsors, passing vetting, and obtaining work authorization—are now being punished just to inflate deportation numbers.”
Economic and Humanitarian Consequences
AILA Executive Director Benjamin Johnson warned that ending the program would force migrants back into danger while harming U.S. businesses struggling with labor shortages.
“This policy was a smart solution to a humanitarian crisis,” Johnson said. “By shutting it down, the administration is pushing more people into undocumented status, endangering lives, and hurting our economy. CHNV parolees have filled critical job gaps nationwide—from cities to small towns. Removing them now is shortsighted and undermines American prosperity.”
The CHNV parole program, credited with significantly reducing illegal border crossings from the four countries, allowed vetted individuals with U.S. sponsors to enter legally and work temporarily. Its termination marks a return to stricter immigration enforcement under the Trump administration.
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