A report from the House Judiciary Committee and its Subcommittee on Integrity, Security, and Immigration Compliance has provided a strong analysis of the CHNV parole program (Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela), describing it as a system “plagued by fraud” and serious deficiencies.
This program, implemented by Joe Biden, was designed to admit up to 30,000 migrants monthly in an orderly manner, but it has faced heavy criticism due to inconsistencies.
Since its inception in 2021, more than 531,000 individuals from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela have entered the United States under this program.
However, the report outlines allegations of misuse of parole authority, which, by law, must be applied on a case-by-case basis, but in this instance has been implemented en masse.
The report claims that some sponsors have used income from illegal activities or public benefits to justify their ability to provide support, contradicting the promise that the costs of the program would be covered by private sponsors.
This implies that "U.S. taxpayers may be indirectly funding the program's beneficiaries."
The document criticizes the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for failing to conduct thorough background checks through the National Crime Information Center (NCIC).
According to the report, this limits the ability to identify security risks, making it easier to exploit the program for illegal purposes.
Other revealing figures
Duplicate Social Security numbers: "The same Social Security number was used in at least 20 different sponsor applications on more than 3,200 occasions."
Non-existent postal codes: More than 460 fake postal codes were used in applications, affecting 2,800 beneficiaries.
Human trafficking patterns: In one case, 21 applications came from the same IP address, sponsoring 18 women, six of whom were minors.
In terms of national security, the report highlights the lack of effective measures to prevent criminal activities and fraud.
The DHS temporarily suspended the program in early August but reactivated it three weeks later, prompting new criticisms.
Additionally, the document indicates that the approvals have allowed the participation of temporary sponsors as beneficiaries of DACA, TPS, and other parole programs.
The report not only highlights legal and security issues but also the impacts on American communities.
According to their conclusions, the massive influx of beneficiaries of the program has negatively impacted the economy and public safety.
"The humanitarian program appears to be designed to mask the border crisis," the report states, highlighting that the migratory flow has reached historical figures, with over 7.7 million encounters with irregular immigrants since January 2021.
As of September 2024, official data shows:
Approved Cubans for travel: 110,980 (of which 110,240 had already entered the country).
Venezuelans benefited: 117,000; Haitians: 211,000; Nicaraguans: More than 93,000.
Work permits granted: 405,000 out of 531,000 beneficiaries.
The humanitarian parole, mortally wounded.
The CHNV parole program faces an uncertain future. Elected President Donald Trump has promised to eliminate this program and other similar mechanisms, such as CBP One, within his first 100 days in office.
According to reports, the new administration plans to build or expand detention centers to manage irregular migration before proceeding with mass deportations.
The Congress report concludes with a call to action, urging reforms to immigration laws and an end to policies deemed "radical." It also emphasizes the need to restore adherence to the laws to protect both American citizens and vulnerable migrants.
The debate regarding the implementation of the CHNV program and its effects continues to provoke controversy, especially in the context of promises for a stricter approach to immigration policy under the new administration. The reactivation of the program, despite its documented shortcomings, highlights the complexity of managing migration flows amid political, social, and security challenges.
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