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The Cuban-American congresswoman María Elvira Salazar called this Saturday for an "opportunity" for beneficiaries of humanitarian parole to gain "the protections that were promised to them," while blaming the Biden Administration for the "legal limbo" they are currently facing.
"Trump is correcting the immigration disaster left by Biden. There is no doubt: the legal limbo that Cubans, Venezuelans, Haitians, and Nicaraguans face today is a direct consequence of the empty promises of the Biden administration.", Salazar stated in a message posted on X, first in English and then in Spanish.
However, the legislator showed compassion for the parole beneficiaries and asked to give them a chance.
"These individuals fled failed communist regimes in hopes of finding freedom and opportunities in the United States, only to be betrayed by incoherent and poorly managed policies," he added.
"The Trump administration should recognize this reality and not penalize them for Biden's mistakes. Let's give them the opportunity to access the protections that were promised to them.", he concluded.
Salazar has been the first of the three Cuban-American congress members - and the only one as of the close of this report - to speak out regarding the recent revocation of immigration benefits for Cubans, Venezuelans, Nicaraguans, and Haitians.
In the comments section of her post, several internet users expressed skepticism regarding the possibility that Donald Trump would promote a solution like the one proposed by María Elvira for the beneficiaries of parole.
“Trump does not share that idea and that will not happen”, asserted a commentator; while others pointed out directly that "Trump is anti-Latino" and that his party has no consideration for the migrants who have arrived in the United States in recent years.
"Is there nothing the United States can do to eradicate the cause of immigration? That is, the terrible governments in Latin America," a user asked, referring to the expansion of authoritarian regimes and crises in the region.
There were also voices that openly supported tough measures.
Some users support mass deportations and assert that illegal immigrants "must be sent back", regardless of the reasons that drove them to flee their countries.
In recent hours, the Republican congresswoman had been pressured in various forums to publicly express her stance on the announcement made this Friday by the Trump Administration.
Who does the cancellation of humanitarian parole affect?
Thousands of Cubans who benefit from humanitarian parole are now concerned following the announcement this Friday of the revocation of this immigration benefit within 30 days.
In an interview with Univision, lawyer José Guerrero made notes on the scope of the measure and specifically clarified who faces the greatest risk of expedited deportation once the measure comes into effect.
“If you have been in the country for more than two years and have already applied for a migration benefit or have a defined migration status, you will not have any problems and will be able to stay in the U.S.,” Guerrero stated.
"Now, those who have not applied by the publication date are 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 have already applied for residency after one year and one day but still do not have any documentation in hand should not be affected "because they have a legal basis to remain in the U.S."
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 filed an asylum petition.
Those people, if they did not make an asylum application before the announcement this Friday, can no longer do so.
The number of Cubans who would be left without legal protection 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 calculations made by journalist Wilfredo Cancio for Café Fuerte- would encompass citizens from the island who entered U.S. territory after March 2024.
Those Cubans do not yet meet the requirement of one year and one day of residence in the U.S., which is necessary to qualify for protection under the Cuban Adjustment Act (CAA).
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