The Trump administration seems determined to end immigrants’ temporary legal status, which affects about 530,000 immigrants. This pool consists overwhelmingly of people from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela. This decision represents yet another step in President Trump’s campaign to dramatically expand immigration enforcement since taking office. On Friday, a final decision published in the Federal Register largely rolls back the limited parole status issued during the Biden administration. This status enabled immigrants to come to the United States lawfully under the support of American sponsors. The revocation is currently scheduled to go into effect on April 24.
President Trump has claimed that the parole programs started by his Democratic successor, Joe Biden, went too far outside of the limits of federal law. In an executive order signed on January 20, Trump instructed for the cancellation of these initiatives. The revocation ends the two-year parole period that had allowed these immigrants to make legal entry into the country. Further, the administration recently announced their intention to terminate the status of approximately 240,000 Ukrainians by this coming April.
The Trump administration's decision could render many of these individuals vulnerable to deportation, further complicating diplomatic and political relations between the affected countries and the United States. These bilateral relationships have already been stretched thin due to mismatched immigration policies and other geopolitical frictions.
Last year, Biden’s administration established a parole entry program for Venezuelans. This program later grew in 2023 to include Cubans, Haitians, and Nicaraguans. All of these initiatives were intended to carve out new legal pathways to enter the country. They in particular doubled down on efforts to curb illegal crossings at the US-Mexico border. By doing away with the parole status, the Trump administration hopes to turn these efforts back.
This decision comes as debates continue on full escalatory immigration policy and its collateral damage to our foreign relations. Trump has alternatives to grant or deny, and could cancel existing parole for Ukrainians. That whole picture is being transformed by the rapidly changing political landscape.