The Biden-era humanitarian parole program that allowed over 500,000 migrants from Latin America and the Caribbean to legally enter the United States is now being dismantled by the Trump administration. In a sweeping new policy, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced it will revoke legal status and work authorization for migrants admitted under the CHNV process and is urging them to self-deport within 30 days—or face arrest and forced removal.
The affected individuals—an estimated 532,000 migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela—entered the U.S. legally through the CHNV parole program, a system designed by the Biden administration to offer controlled migration routes and reduce illegal border crossings. But the Trump administration, which paused the program shortly after President Trump returned to office, has now moved to fully terminate it.
According to a government notice, migrants will lose both deportation protections and work permits starting in late April, 30 days after the policy change was formally posted on March 25. The DHS is encouraging migrants to use the CBP Home mobile app to schedule their voluntary departures.
A DHS spokesperson confirmed that the department will prioritize the arrest and removal of those who fail to leave within the 30-day window. Those who have not applied for other legal protections—such as asylum, Temporary Protected Status (TPS), or permanent residency—will be especially targeted for enforcement.
While many of the migrants arrived legally and were given parole under the Biden administration’s framework, officials in the Trump administration have argued the program was flawed, lacked proper vetting, and undermined border security.
In a statement, DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said, “The migrants allowed into the U.S. under the CHNV process were loosely vetted,” and she claimed that the program had created economic strain and risked national safety.
“The termination of the CHNV parole programs, and the termination of parole for those who exploited it, is a return to common-sense policies, a return to public safety, and a return to America First,” McLaughlin said.
The CHNV (Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, Venezuela) process was launched in 2023 and permitted up to 30,000 migrants per month from those four countries to enter the U.S. legally, provided they had a sponsor in the United States and passed background checks. Once paroled into the country, they were eligible for temporary work authorization and protected from deportation for two years.
The program was widely credited with helping reduce unauthorized crossings at the southern border, particularly from those nations. Immigration experts and advocates praised it as a humane and practical solution to migration pressures, offering safer alternatives to dangerous journeys through Central America and Mexico.
However, critics—especially within the Trump administration—have long viewed it as an executive overreach and a loophole that allowed migrants to bypass the legal immigration system.
The administration’s move to fully terminate the program and revoke parole comes after CBS News reported in February that such a reversal was in the works. Although the CHNV program had already been paused, the latest action signals a decisive shift away from the Biden-era strategy.
It remains unclear how many of the 532,000 CHNV entrants have since secured other forms of legal immigration status. Experts say the number is likely low, given the complexity of the U.S. immigration system and backlogs in the asylum and green card processes.
Immigrant advocacy groups are now raising alarms about the potential humanitarian fallout.
“This is a shocking betrayal of families who came to the U.S. legally and followed the rules,” said Maria Delgado, legal director at the American Immigrant Justice Project. “Now they are being told to leave or face arrest. It’s cruel, and it’s going to destabilize hundreds of thousands of lives.”
The DHS has confirmed that those who fail to comply with the new policy will be subject to arrest and removal by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers. Interior enforcement operations, which were scaled back under the previous administration, are expected to increase significantly in May.
Migrants who have pending applications for asylum or other immigration benefits may be shielded from immediate removal. However, DHS officials stressed that individuals must prove they are actively pursuing a legal pathway to remain in the country.
The Trump administration has also introduced a new function within the CBP Home app, originally designed for border entry appointments, to allow migrants to register for self-deportation. DHS claims the app will make the process more streamlined and efficient.
But advocates question the reliability and accessibility of an app-based deportation system, especially for migrants who may not have smartphones or internet access.
“This app is not a substitute for legal counsel or due process,” said John Moreno, a New York-based immigration attorney. “It’s an app asking people to walk themselves into deportation without knowing their rights.”
The administration’s shift aligns with President Trump’s broader immigration enforcement agenda, which emphasizes removal over integration. In recent speeches, the president has vowed to undo what he describes as “Biden’s border disaster” and to restore law and order through strict immigration controls.
Senior administration officials have indicated that additional rollbacks of other humanitarian parole programs may follow.
“This is just the first phase,” one White House aide told reporters. “The administration is committed to removing loopholes and ending the misuse of parole authority.”
Legal experts suggest that the policy change could face court challenges, particularly on constitutional grounds related to due process and reliance interests. Courts have in the past ruled that migrants with pending status or protections cannot be summarily removed without individualized review.
But until such challenges materialize, the government’s 30-day clock is ticking. For the more than half a million migrants who arrived under the CHNV pathway, the next month will determine whether they stay in the United States—or are forced to leave.
As April approaches, immigration attorneys, advocacy groups, and community organizations are preparing for a surge in urgent cases and emergency filings in an attempt to help affected migrants find legal paths before enforcement begins.
“We’re in crisis mode,” said Delgado. “People are scared. They trusted the process. Now they’re being told that trust was misplaced.”
