Trump Ends Humanitarian Parole for Migrants from Four Nations

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday evening terminating a humanitarian parole program that allowed over half a million migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela to temporarily enter the United States under the Biden administration.

The program, which began in January 2023, permitted migrants from these countries to apply for entry from their home nations due to “urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit.” Applicants were required to have a U.S.-based sponsor and pass a background check. Once approved, they could stay in the U.S. for up to two years, obtain work permits, and avoid deportation.

“One of my most important obligations is to protect the American people from the disastrous effects of unlawful mass migration and resettlement,” Trump stated in the order. “My Administration will marshal all available resources and authorities to stop this unprecedented flood of illegal aliens into the United States.”

Since its inception, the program has granted humanitarian parole to 531,690 individuals, with the majority coming from Haiti. It has been credited with reducing illegal border crossings from these nations. However, the Biden administration paused the program in October 2024, leaving the legal status of current parolees uncertain.

Under Trump’s order, the Department of Homeland Security is directed to “terminate all categorical parole programs that are contrary to the policies of the United States established in my Executive Orders.” The fate of the hundreds of thousands of migrants currently living under humanitarian parole remains unclear.

Critics argue that ending the program will force migrants to seek illegal entry into the U.S., while supporters of the decision claim it is necessary to curb unlawful immigration and protect national security.