More than 530,000 individuals from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela who were granted temporary legal entry into the U.S. under special parole initiatives are now facing the end of that status. According to a notice posted in the Federal Register on March 21, the programs are scheduled to terminate on April 24, following a 30-day countdown from the notice’s official publication date.
The termination affects migrants who entered the U.S. through humanitarian parole programs established in recent years. Those covered by the initiatives are now being instructed to leave the country before their individual parole expiration dates, unless they’ve obtained another lawful immigration status in the meantime.
The decision follows a broader directive from the current administration to roll back widespread parole initiatives that no longer align with national immigration priorities. Officials stated that these programs no longer meet criteria for public benefit, have not proven effective in curbing irregular migration, and do not align with the administration’s foreign policy approach, which emphasizes border security.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem explained that ending the programs fulfills broader objectives around restoring a more restrictive and targeted approach to immigration. She noted that the programs failed to deliver on their intended goals and instead contributed to broader challenges tied to immigration enforcement and border management.
Under the discontinued parole framework, migrants were allowed to stay in the U.S. for up to two years after completing an online application process, passing background checks, and securing a U.S.-based financial sponsor. The policy, first introduced for Venezuelans in 2022, later expanded to include Nicaraguans, Haitians, and Cubans. At its peak, the initiative allowed up to 30,000 individuals from the four countries combined to enter the U.S. each month.
Although the programs were not renewed last year, this new move formalizes their conclusion and initiates a process for removal of those still present in the U.S. without an updated legal status. Those who have since adjusted their immigration status, such as receiving asylum, visas, or green cards, are not affected by the change.
A senior official at DHS described the programs as ineffective and argued that ending them marks a return to what they called more stable and safety-focused immigration policies.
However, the decision is not without legal pushback. Civil rights groups have challenged previous efforts to dismantle similar parole programs, and a class action lawsuit was recently filed seeking to block this latest move.
Advocates are urging affected individuals to seek legal guidance as the deadline approaches, especially for those who may be eligible for alternate pathways to remain in the country.
