The U.S. resumes humanitarian parole under strict measures to prevent fraud.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced this Thursday the resumption of the humanitarian parole program under strict security measures to prevent fraud.

The entity warned in a statement that from now on it will hold accountable those who commit fraud or attempt to exploit others for their own benefit with this initiative, enacted by the Biden administration in January 2023.

The program, which allows applicants from Haiti, Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua to live and work in the United States, was paused on August 2 after the DHS reported that it had detected a significant level of fraud in the applications from sponsors.

According to the statement, the DHS "is committed to holding individuals accountable who commit fraud or seek to exploit others for their benefit. Anyone who commits fraud or other abuses will be referred to the appropriate authorities for prosecution," the text notes, as quoted by Telemundo 51.

It also announced that to prevent future fraud, the entity will implement new and improved investigation protocols.

This will include a partnership with the Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and the National Targeting Center of the Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

Among the enhanced measures are greater scrutiny of financial records and background checks of sponsors, additional investigations to identify fraudulent profiles, and strengthened review methods to detect trends in serial applications.

In addition, the DHS announced that from now on, fingerprints of sponsors residing in the United States will be required as part of the verification process.

Authorities emphasized the importance of migrants seeking to enter the United States using this process or existing legal pathways, including opportunities available through Safe Mobility Offices, to ensure that their entry into the country is legal, safe, and orderly.

The Customs and Border Protection (CBP) office published figures of the beneficiaries of humanitarian parole who have entered the United States from the start of the program in 2023 until July 2024, totaling 110,000 Cubans who were screened and authorized to travel.