Starting May 14, thousands of Cubans in the United States will no longer be able to work. Here's what they can do, according to lawyers.

Immigration attorneys explain key details about work permit revocation under CBP One.

The permits will be officially canceled on May 14, and recipients have only a few days to prove they still maintain valid immigration status.

Thousands of Cubans at risk after losing parole

The mass revocation of work permits granted to migrants under the CBP One program has raised concerns among immigration lawyers in the United States. The measure affects thousands of Cubans who legally crossed the border and benefited from temporary humanitarian parole, now canceled by the Donald Trump administration.

Attorney Liudmila A. Marcelo, in an interview with Telemundo 51, clarified that the work permit depends directly on maintaining a valid immigration status. "Once the parole expires, the work permit loses legal grounds. There is no basis for it to remain active," she stated.

The deadline: May 14

According to notifications sent by the Department of Homeland Security, work permits will be officially revoked on May 14, 2025, and the corresponding parole will be cancelled seven days later, leaving those affected without any type of immigration protection.

In a conversation with journalist Mario Pentón, attorney Jesús Novo explained that employers who use E-Verify are required to verify their workers' legal status. If the status isn't proven, they must immediately suspend employment. "You have until May 14 to prove that your parole is still valid or that you have another form of work authorization," he warned.

Self-deportation with financial assistance

Pressure on migrants has intensified. Many have begun receiving emails urging them to leave the country voluntarily using the CBP Home app, now redesigned to facilitate self-deportation.

According to attorney Rosaly Chaviano, the government is offering up to $1.000 as an economic incentive to those who choose to return to their country of origin without judicial intervention. "It's a desperate attempt by the government to reduce the migrant population, because they're not achieving the deportations they expected," she told AméricaTeVé.

What if they don't self-deport?

Experts warn that those who fail to leave the country or provide proof of legal status could receive a deportation order in absentia, a serious immigration offense that carries penalties of up to 10 years of inadmissibility to the United States.

Furthermore, working without authorization can seriously complicate future immigration procedures. “It wasn't such a determining factor before, but now the government considers it a negative factor when evaluating applications for adjustment of status or asylum,” Marcelo said.

What can affected Cubans do?

Despite the seriousness of the situation, lawyers agree that Cubans can still benefit from the Cuban Adjustment Act, provided they meet the requirement of one year and one day in the United States and have not committed any major violations.

“Losing your work permit doesn't prevent you from benefiting from this law,” Novo asserted. But he emphasized the need to act urgently and seek professional guidance. “Each case is different, and the worst thing you can do now is wait without advice.”

Many still don't know that their status has been revoked.

Several specialists have warned that many migrants have not even heard about the revocation, as notifications are sent by email and sometimes end up in spam folders or are ignored due to lack of language skills.

The impact is not limited to Cubans. Nicaraguans, Haitians, and Venezuelans who entered the United States through appointments scheduled through the former CBP One app, created during the Joe Biden administration, are also affected.

Today, under Trump, that channel has been closed, and the message is clear: leave the country voluntarily or face the consequences.