The Biden-era parole program, known as CHNV, allowed over 530,000 migrants from Venezuela, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Cuba to legally enter the United States with two-year work permits. The program was touted by its architects as a safer, more orderly method for handling immigration from destabilized regions.
However, the Trump administration announced in March its intention to revoke that legal status and deport the migrants unless they voluntarily departed by April 24. The White House claimed the program undermined American workers and lacked proper vetting standards.
A federal judge, appointed under the Obama administration, ruled this week that the administration cannot carry out a mass revocation. The judge stated that each migrant must be offered a case-by-case review before losing legal protections, citing constitutional concerns over due process.
While the legal status battle continues, other Trump immigration policies appear to be yielding results. The Department of Homeland Security reported that illegal border crossings plummeted by 95% in March compared to the same period a year prior. Fewer than 7,200 migrants were apprehended that month, a drastic contrast to the daily averages seen during Biden’s term.
Trump officials also highlighted increased enforcement efforts targeting criminal illegal aliens. ICE arrests have tripled in recent months, and the number of detainees in federal facilities is at a record high.
Former acting ICE director Tom Homan stated, “We did in three weeks what Biden didn’t do in three or four years,” adding that the border is now the most secure in American history.
Despite the legal challenge, the White House is seeking $45 billion in new funding to build detention facilities and speed up deportation proceedings. Public polling continues to show broad approval for the administration’s hardline immigration stance.
