Biden Foolishly Decides Not to Extend Legal Status for Migrants Who Entered the US Under the CHNV Private Sponsorship Program
Yesterday, the Biden Administration decided not to extend the parole term for participants in the CHNV private sponsorship parole program for migrants from Cuba, Nicaragua, Haiti, and Venezuela:
The Biden administration will not be extending the legal status of hundreds of thousands of migrants who were allowed to fly to the U.S. under a sponsorship program designed to reduce illegal border crossings, the Department of Homeland Security announced Friday.
Instead, migrants who have come to the U.S. under the policy will be directed to try to obtain legal status through other immigration programs, leave the country or face deportation proceedings.
The administration first launched the sponsorship program in October 2022 to discourage Venezuelans from traveling to the U.S.-Mexico border by offering them a legal way to enter the country if American-based individuals agreed to sponsor them. It was then expanded in January 2023 to include migrants from Cuba, Haiti and Nicaragua, whose citizens were also crossing the U.S. southern border in record numbers at the time.
As of the end of August, 530,000 migrants from these four countries had flown into the U.S. under the policy, known as the CHNV program, government figures show. They were granted permission to live and work in the U.S. legally for two years under an immigration law known as parole, which presidents can use to welcome foreigners on humanitarian or public interest grounds.
Roughly 214,000 Haitians, 117,000 Venezuelans, 111,000 Cubans and 96,000 Nicaraguans have come to the U.S. so far under the policy, according to government data. The first group set to start losing their parole status this month are Venezuelans, who began coming to the U.S. through the CHNV program in October 2022. The parole periods of Cubans, Haitians and Nicaraguans will not start to expire until early next year.
This decision is simultaneously cruel and counterproductive. It’s cruel because the horrific conditions that justified the creation of the program in the first place are highly unlikely to end in the next year or two. Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua will likely still be ruled by brutal socialist dictatorships. And Haiti will likely still suffer from endemic violence. The statute that empowers the president to grant parole states it can be given “for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit.” The “urgent humanitarian reasons” justifying it in this case are highly unlikely to end anytime soon. The same goes for the “significant public benefit” of reducing disorder at the border. CHNV reduces illegal migration by making the legal alternative easier and more widely available. Instead of curtailing the program, Biden should expand it.
The Biden administration did (rightly) extend the parole period for Afghan and Ukrainian participants in similar parole programs. The case for CHNV participants is equally compelling.
Moreover, the predictable consequence of this decision—unless it is reversed—will be to create a larger population of illegal migrants. Migrants from Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela can’t be deported, because those countries won’t accept US deportees. And most are unlikely to leave on their own, because even living in the US illegal
Article from Latest
The Reason Magazine website is a go-to destination for libertarians seeking cogent analysis, investigative reporting, and thought-provoking commentary. Championing the principles of individual freedom, limited government, and free markets, the site offers a diverse range of articles, videos, and podcasts that challenge conventional wisdom and advocate for libertarian solutions. Whether you’re interested in politics, culture, or technology, Reason provides a unique lens that prioritizes liberty and rational discourse. It’s an essential resource for those who value critical thinking and nuanced debate in the pursuit of a freer society.