MIAMI.- The humanitarian parole created to benefit Cubans, Venezuelans, Nicaraguans and Haitians celebrated its first anniversary awaiting the decision of federal judge Drew B. Tipton who must rule whether or not this government initiative, created in January 2023 to order the legal entry into the United States of these citizens, remains.
While the judge takes his time, since last October a significant number of applications to enter the US legally through this immigration plan have been approved. The Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is responsible for validating the information corresponding to each case and approving or not approving the application.
As of the end of November 2023, more than 317,000 migrants had received travel authorizations to enter the United States, of which 297,000 have already done so. This figure may be higher when official records count cases from December 2023 and January 2024.
This program, as is also the case with Safe Mobility, was created to prevent people from crossing dangerous roads to reach the US border, but they have not alleviated this crisis of the growing increase in irregular immigration, congressmen have pointed out.
Since August, there have been more than 10,000 daily arrests of migrants. Fiscal year 2023 concluded with 3.2 million encounters of undocumented migrants at the border, DIARIO LAS AMÉRICAS reported
To date, this total number of applications approved through this immigration program is far from the growing number of irregular migration, yielding historical figures. The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) aimed to significantly reduce irregular migration by offering “safe, orderly and humane pathways.”
The humanitarian parole process is delayed due to the high demand of people seeking a temporary residence permit and also because a strict evaluation of each applicant is followed.
But to date doubts persist about its success, due to the number of people benefited to date and the uncertainty generated by the judge’s final decision.
The lawsuit and the defense
21 Republican states filed a lawsuit alleging that this program was affecting their public accounts and arguing that this type of plan has become a security problem.
The government’s allegations are that these people enter with a work permit so it should not represent a cost. Regarding the issue of security, the lawyers who assist the government based their arguments by pointing out that the biometric controls of each person are complied with.
The Republicans have pointed out that this, instead of a parole, appears to be a visa program, because by simply having a sponsor the citizen can opt for the main requirement that they belong to the favored nationalities.
To mitigate this criticism, the Biden government allowed the form to include the sponsor’s presentation of reasonable humanitarian causes so that his or her protégé could pass the test.
The current US administration promised about 30,000 monthly travel permits with this parole, which in 11 months would be 330,000. However, around 317,000 applications have been approved and although it is not far from the goal, questions continue to be raised about the system’s ability to process enough forms.
It is a “legal and safe” alternative for applicants from various nations. The measure seeks to reduce the high numbers of irregular entry into the United States, the fundamental purpose defended by the Biden Government.
The other drama is that while the current administration has allowed express entry to migrants legally through a sponsor, thousands of people legally residing in this country are standing in line and have been waiting for years for their relatives to legally migrate to the United States. Joined. Something that those affected consider unfair.
Source: TELEMUNDO/ MERIDIANO / DIARIO LAS AMÉRICAS EDITORIAL
