The pause imposed by USCIS on the processing of humanitarian parole program cases has left millions of applicants in suspense.
The humanitarian parole program, established by the Biden administration for citizens of Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela, has been temporarily suspended by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) due to significant fraud.
This pause affects millions of Form I-134A applications filed with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
Pending cases
As of the end of June 2024, approximately 523,814 people had received travel authorizations, distributed among 106,757 Cubans, 205,026 Haitians, 93,325 Nicaraguans, and 118,706 Venezuelans.
However, more than 2.6 million parole applications have been received by USCIS, leaving more than 2.1 million cases pending processing. Authorities are currently focused on reviewing sponsors' applications, which have shown inconsistencies in their forms.
Frauds detected and legal actions
DHS has identified several types of fraud, including the repeated use of Social Security numbers, addresses, and phone numbers on multiple forms.
It was discovered that 100,948 Forms I-134A were completed by only 3,218 sponsors, 24 Social Security numbers belonged to deceased individuals, and 100 physical addresses were reused on more than 19,000 forms.
Those involved in these frauds face investigations and legal proceedings. The cases will be brought before the immigration court and referred to the Department of Justice for possible criminal charges.
Those who obtained their travel authorizations through fraud will have their visas revoked and face deportation proceedings, in addition to a possible ban on re-entry into the United States.
What to Expect with Humanitarian Parole
The program's suspension comes at a critical time, with migration a central issue in the US election campaign. Analysts suggest the pause could extend until the November 2024 elections.
This situation has generated diverse reactions within the Cuban community, which saw the program as a legal and safe way to migrate to the U.S. Thousands of families anxiously await the resumption of the program, while others face the uncertainty of possible deportations and re-entry bans.
Álvaro Fanjul Iturralde expressed his discontent, saying, "Those of us who are legally waiting shouldn't have to pay for the fraud of others." Gema Ibett believed that those responsible for the fraud should be prosecuted, not those who are legally waiting.
Others have described the news as "sad for all those Cubans who are waiting," while Alonso Ar pointed out that people like him, who have been sponsored since January 2023, are being unfairly affected. Ulises Molina expressed his incomprehension as to why the entire process is being halted instead of focusing on the suspects.
The resumption of the parole program could take years to resolve the pending cases, given that USCIS processes only 30,000 visas per month and receives a significant number of new applications each month. The affected community is still waiting for answers and solutions to this complex situation.
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Let us know what you think:
4 comments
Hello, I think they should be analyzed by months and where they find the fraud, cancel it, because it is no less true that the last ones have been the first and those from last year like January and February, March which are the first of the year in which it began, they have not yet had a response. Greetings and many blessings, but may the process continue, that is my opinion. Blessings.
Hello, my nephew was placed on Parol from January 2023, with the main idea that he receive an eye operation there. They still haven't given him a response. They should start by reviewing the January 2023 cases to see if the requests are attended to. They are the first to submit and the last to respond. I don't understand, thank you.
If they already have the suspects, it seems unfair to me to stop the process since those of us who made the request, as established without any irregularities, are paying the consequences of those who committed fraud, and our families, like us, are desperate to be together.
I believe that they should be analyzed month by month and if they detect any fraud from a sponsor, they should take the case and send it to justice, but they should not stop the strike. They should start in January by analyzing all the cases of that month and if they detect one, they should process them for justice, ending in January and February, and so on, month by month.