Humanitarian Parole: What to consider if you committed or were a victim of fraud?

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently reported a group of fraud cases that have jeopardized the continuation of the humanitarian parole program that benefits migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela.

Journalist Javier Díaz interviewed immigration lawyer José Guerrero about the implications of committing or being a victim of fraud in humanitarian parole.

Guerrero began his analysis by differentiating between the beneficiaries who did not commit fraud and the sponsors who did. The beneficiaries would not face criminal charges because they were unaware.

Sponsors inside or outside the United States may face various sanctions. The lawyer warned that this type of fraud does not get erased from an individual's record.

"It will be very difficult for them to enter the United States in the future. Those who are in the United States and were aware of what they were doing could face criminal charges, have their residency revoked, or face deportation," said Guerrero.

If the parole of a beneficiary is related to fraud, they will lose their case. Those who have requested help to fill out a form or have paid for it should have the contact information of the person who initiated that process and document with images each step to demonstrate that they were not involved in the fraud.

The lawyer specified that the penalties can be up to 10 years in prison if it is proven that a person committed fraud with the humanitarian parole program.

Among the most common frauds, authorities detected the use of Social Security numbers of deceased individuals; incorrect addresses (of warehouses and businesses) to avoid giving the home address where beneficiaries of the program would live; using sponsor data without the person's authorization.

There were cases of people who committed crimes such as paying cash or electronically to bribe officials and expedite the granting of parole. There are also sponsors who, upon reviewing their files, have found that they have beneficiaries who they do not even know.

The program has been temporarily halted since last week, although the U.S. government has allowed some people with approved permits to travel to its territory and is receiving applications through the I-134A form.