A federal judge in Boston blocked on Thursday the decision made by the administration of President Donald Trump to revoke the immigration benefits granted to hundreds of thousands of Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans under the humanitarian parole program.
Judge Indira Talwani, appointed by former Democratic President Barack Obama, concluded that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) misinterpreted the law by attempting to shorten the legal residency period for parole beneficiaries, reported Reuters.
The ruling temporarily halts the plans of the Republican administration, which aimed to rescind the immigration benefit starting April 24, exposing around 450,000 individuals to expedited deportation processes.
Talwani emphasized that the regulation invoked by the DHS applies to individuals who crossed the border illegally, not to those who entered the country legally through a parole permit.
“What they are prioritizing is not the individuals who cross illegally, but those who followed the rules,” said the magistrate, as quoted by Reuters.
The revocation of parole, announced in a notification published last month in the Federal Register, was interpreted as part of a hardline policy against immigration promoted by the Republican government and quickly became the subject of litigation.
Before the ruling, media outlets such as the Miami Herald had reported that Judge Talwani was considering issuing a preliminary order to halt the cancellation of the parole program, known as CHNV, after the initials of the affected nationalities: Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela.
Had the court order not been issued, the protections against deportation and work permits for more than half a million migrants would have expired on April 24, leaving that population without legal status or legal resources to prevent being expelled from the country.
The program, initiated during the presidency of Joe Biden, allowed citizens from those four countries to enter the United States by air, provided they had a financial sponsor, purchased their own ticket, and passed medical and background checks.
Since its implementation in January 2023 until December 2024, the last complete month of Biden's term, more than 531,000 people entered the country through this legal pathway: 110,240 Cubans, 211,040 Haitians, 93,070 Nicaraguans, and 117,330 Venezuelans.
Many of them settled in South Florida, where they currently live and work. They chose parole as a safe and legal alternative to the dangerous journey across the southern border, which saw a surge in migration during the Biden administration.
The plaintiffs' lawyers —a dozen beneficiaries of the program who filed a class-action lawsuit— had warned that allowing the Republican administration's measure to take effect would cause "irreparable" harm on an “astonishing” scale, leaving thousands of law-abiding individuals vulnerable to immediate deportation and without the possibility of working legally.
The Department of Homeland Security argued in court documents that the program no longer met the criteria of "significant public benefit" or "urgent humanitarian need," and that it was contributing to the collapse of the immigration system. They claimed that at least 75,000 parole beneficiaries had applied for asylum, which, in their view, increased processing delays.
The Trump administration argued that the program had not had a real impact on reducing irregular migration flows at the southern border and that it created logistical pressures, particularly at airports like those in Florida, where nearly 80% of migrants disembarked.
The notice published in the Federal Register justified the cancellation of the program as part of a new border security strategy and an effort to break the "vicious cycle" of irregular immigration. Additionally, it criticized the use of executive powers to implement programs like CHNV, labeling them as an abuse of power.
Recently, the government has also begun promoting the voluntary self-deportation of beneficiaries, urging them to report their departure from the country through the mobile application of the Customs and Border Protection (CBP), while indicating that those who had not initiated another immigration process —such as asylum, TPS, or status adjustment— before the notice in the Federal Register, would be a priority for deportation.
In March of last year, President Trump urged the Supreme Court to restrict the ability of federal judges to issue nationwide injunctions, arguing that they have repeatedly blocked his policies.
"Illegal national court orders from radical left judges could lead to the destruction of our country. These people are lunatics who do not care, not even a little, about the consequences of their decisions and rulings, which are very dangerous and incorrect!" Trump wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social.
However, this Thursday he suggested, during a meeting with his Cabinet, that his Government could provide immigration relief to certain undocumented workers in the agricultural and hospitality sectors, allowing them to stay temporarily in the country and subsequently return with legal visas.
"A farmer will come with a letter regarding certain people, saying they are excellent and working hard. We will hold back a little for them, and then ultimately we will bring them back. They will go out, and they will return as legal workers," stated the president from the Oval Office.
Frequently Asked Questions about the Revocation of Humanitarian Parole by the Trump Administration
What is humanitarian parole and who is affected by its revocation?
Humanitarian parole is a program established during the Joe Biden administration that allowed the temporary and legal entry of migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela into the United States for humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit. Its revocation impacts more than 530,000 individuals who entered the country under this scheme since 2023, and who now may face deportation proceedings if they do not regularize their status.
Why did the Trump administration decide to revoke humanitarian parole?
The administration of Donald Trump argued that the humanitarian parole did not succeed in reducing irregular migration or significantly improving border security, in addition to putting pressure on public resources and the immigration judicial system. The decision also responds to Executive Order 14165, which aims to secure the border and eliminate categorical parole programs, aligning with a more restrictive immigration policy.
What can beneficiaries of humanitarian parole do in the face of its revocation?
Beneficiaries of humanitarian parole who do not have another legal basis to remain in the United States should consider initiating valid immigration processes such as asylum, adjustment of status, or Temporary Protected Status (TPS) before the deadline of April 24, 2025. Otherwise, they will need to leave the country voluntarily or face expedited deportation proceedings.
What is the impact of this decision on the Cuban community in the U.S.?
The Cuban community is among the most affected by the revocation of humanitarian parole, as many Cuban migrants lost their legal status and work authorization. This puts at risk those who have not yet completed their status adjustment process under the Cuban Adjustment Act, exposing them to deportation if they do not regularize their immigration status.
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