The Department of Homeland Security will revoke legal protections for 532,000 immigrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela, effective April 24, 2024. This decision follows a Trump-era policy change and has drawn criticism from lawmakers. Legal challenges to the decision have emerged, with advocates warning of significant repercussions for affected families.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced that it will revoke legal protections for approximately 532,000 immigrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. This decision, which affects those who arrived in the U.S. since October 2022, sets these individuals on a path to potential deportation within a month. These immigrants had been permitted to live and work in the United States under a two-year parole program, linked to financial sponsors.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has confirmed that the revocation of legal status will take effect on April 24, 2024. The change impacts thousands of immigrants in South Florida, many of whom qualified for the “humanitarian parole” program instituted under former President Joe Biden. This policy change comes against the backdrop of previous efforts to reform immigration regulations.

U.S. Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz criticized this action, labeling it as a “heartless act” that would disrupt families from Cuba, Venezuela, Haiti, and Nicaragua. She emphasized that this decision would increase the number of undocumented individuals, create economic disruptions, and instill fear throughout local communities, particularly in her congressional district, which has a significant immigrant population.

Republican U.S. Representative María Elvira Salazar also expressed her views, attributing the responsibility for the “legal limbo” faced by these immigrants on the Biden administration. She urged the current administration to allow these individuals to remain in the U.S., claiming they were misled and came to the country in search of safety from oppressive regimes.

Under the new policy, humanitarian parolees who do not have another legal basis for remaining in the U.S. are expected to leave prior to their parole expiration. This directive is in line with the Trump administration’s previous stance that humanitarian parole cannot serve as a foundation for permanent immigration status.

Not all reactions have been positive. Dan Stein, the president of the Federation for American Immigration Reform, supported the move while arguing that the Biden administration had exploited parole regulations to create an illegitimate immigration framework. Legal challenges to this policy change have already emerged, with several individuals and organizations filing lawsuits to reinstate protections for the affected nationalities.

Experts, including Karen Tumlin, have condemned the administration’s decision as harmful and chaotic, with potential wide-reaching repercussions for families and communities across the nation. The Biden administration’s previous policy had allowed for a flow of up to 30,000 newcomers each month from these countries for two years, with eligibility to work, while collaborating with Mexico to manage the inflow.

In conclusion, the DHS’s decision to revoke legal protections for over half a million immigrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela has sparked significant criticism and concern regarding its impact on families and local communities. Lawmakers from both parties are voicing their opinions, reflecting deep divides in immigration policy discussions. As legal challenges progress, the potential consequences for these individuals remain uncertain, eliciting fears of chaos and upheaval within vulnerable populations.

Original Source: www.wlrn.org

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