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The number of Cubans who would be left legally unprotected in the U.S. following the recent announcement of the revocation of humanitarian parole is estimated to be around 26,000.
The figure -according to a calculation made by journalist Wilfredo Cancio for Café Fuerte- would encompass the citizens of the island who entered U.S. territory after March 2024, as detailed by the aforementioned source.
These Cubans do not yet meet the requirement of one year and one day of residency in the U.S., which is necessary to qualify for protection under the Cuban Adjustment Act (CAA).
Who does the revocation of humanitarian parole affect?
Thousands of Cubans benefiting from humanitarian parole have expressed concern since the announcement this Friday regarding the revocation of this immigration benefit within 30 days, starting from the official announcement of the measure, scheduled for next Tuesday.
In an interview with Univision, attorney José Guerrero also clarified some doubts, made notes about the scope of the measure, and specifically pointed out who is at greater risk of expedited deportation once the measure goes into effect.
Guerrero indicated that the decision affects individuals who still have a valid parole, and noted that following the official publication of the measure, all humanitarian paroled issued will be canceled within a period of 30 days.
“If you have been in the country for more than two years and you have already applied for an immigration benefit or have a defined immigration status, you will not have any problem and will be able to stay in the U.S.,” Guerrero stated.
"Now, those who did not apply by the publication date are the ones at greater risk of being subjected to expedited deportation; they won't even go through an immigration court," he added.
According to Guerrero, those who applied for residency after a year and a day but still do not have any documentation in hand should, in principle, not be affected.
“No one should be affected based on this publication...,” noted the lawyer, who specified that the document excludes those who have made an “adjustment of status” prior to the publication of the measure, which includes the Cuban Adjustment Act, TPS, T visa, U visa...
"Those who applied before this publication should be protected because they have a legal basis to remain in the U.S.," he stated.
However, the situation becomes complicated for beneficiaries of humanitarian parole who have not yet applied for residency because they have been in the country for less than a year and a day, and who have not made an asylum request.
Those individuals, if they did not file an asylum application before the announcement this Friday, can no longer do so.
“If a person does it right now, it won’t count; the post states before the publication of this news,” clarified the lawyer.
"Those who have not reached one year and one day but did not apply for asylum can unfortunately be affected," he stated.
"People who have been here for a while must have applied for residency or asylum [...] Those who have already applied will be protected, and unfortunately, those who have done nothing are subject to expedited deportation," he clarified.
In response to the question about what might happen to those who choose not to leave the U.S., he answered:
"As it is clearly stated, it is a priority for the government to remove them from the country quickly, because a person who has already been in the country for two years must be put through a regular deportation process, and we know that the courts are overwhelmed with cases. They will notify each person... they will be detained and deported swiftly," concluded the lawyer.
Revocation of humanitarian parole
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) of the United States announced this Friday the revocation of the humanitarian parole programs for citizens of Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela and their immediate family members, known as the CHNV programs.
The decision responds to the Executive Order 14165 issued by President Donald Trump on January 20, 2025, which mandates securing the border and terminating categorical parole programs.
The DHS asserted that these programs failed to reduce irregular migration or significantly improve border security, and that they created increased pressure on local communities, public resources, and the already overwhelmed immigration judicial system.
More than 532,000 people entered the United States under these programs between 2022 and 2025. The DHS argues that these mass admissions, although legal under the parole framework, were contrary to the original intent of the law, which stipulates that such permits should be granted on a case-by-case basis.
Those who do not have another legal basis to remain in the country must leave or face deportation proceedings.
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