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On June 21, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it has begun the production of the first permanent resident cards (Green Card) for applicants who legally entered the country on December 16 under this program.
The news was confirmed by Cuban journalist Mario J. Pentón, who shared direct evidence of the approved cases and celebrated on his social media the reactivation of the status adjustment processes.
“This process has definitely been unfrozen”, he stated. “It is excellent news for the hundreds of thousands of Cubans, Venezuelans, Nicaraguans, and Haitians who were afraid because they did not have work permits or their parole had been revoked”.
The measure comes shortly after the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officially lifted the administrative suspension that had halted asylum requests, TPS, and status adjustments for migrants under the CHNV program.
In a notable shift in political discourse, the DHS has now acknowledged that these beneficiaries entered the country legally, in contrast to the previous narrative that labeled them as "illegal" arrivals.
“I find this change in narrative very interesting,” Pentón noted during a live broadcast. “Now the Trump administration is acknowledging that they entered legally, which is very important for unblocking their pending cases.”
One of the approved cases involves a Cuban family that entered through parole on December 16. "The I-485 application —the form for adjusting status under the Cuban Adjustment Act— is already being processed. Their card is in production," explained Pentón, showing the official notifications sent by USCIS.
The family, which preferred to remain anonymous, contacted the journalist directly to share the good news. Like many others, they had been uncertain for months about what would happen with their paperwork and feared getting caught in a migratory limbo.
What does this mean for other Cubans?
- USCIS has begun to process cases that were frozen since December.
- The first Green Cards are being issued for parole beneficiaries who have applied for status adjustment.
- The DHS has authorized the continuation of asylum applications, Temporary Protected Status (TPS), and status adjustment.
- Those without legal status are being urged to voluntarily leave the country through the CBP One app.
This progress could pave the way for thousands of Cubans who entered legally under parole to regain the legal stability they need to rebuild their lives in the United States.
Since January, when President Donald Trump signed the executive order that canceled the CHNV program (Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela), over half a million migrants have found themselves in legal limbo, including more than 110,000 Cubans.
The decision represents a relief for thousands of Cuban families. However, not everything is guaranteed. Many beneficiaries have not yet met the minimum requirement of one year to apply for the Cuban Adjustment Act, and there is a risk of deportation if they are unable to regularize their status in time. Furthermore, the Trump administration could issue new restrictions at any moment.
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