On Jan. 23, 2025, the Department of Homeland Security issued a notice directing immigration officials to review cases of individuals who are currently in the United States on humanitarian parole to determine whether to terminate their parole status and begin the process of removing them from the United States back to their home country. This includes individuals who arrived in the United States through the Processes for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans and, possibly, Uniting for Ukraine, as well as Afghans with parole status.
Below is a summary of what these changes mean for individuals and families currently living in the United States with humanitarian parole status. We do not yet know how this guidance will be implemented or enforced, but we will share updates as we receive more information. Visit our Policy Updates page for expert guidance, FAQs, and other resources, and subscribe to receive emails with the latest updates.
Key Changes:
President Trump’s administration has now issued a notice to Homeland Security officials to review the cases of newcomers with humanitarian parole status and expedite their removal from the United States. This will impact newcomers sponsored through legal programs including the Processes for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans; Uniting for Ukraine; and CBP One. The actions may also impact humanitarian parolees from Afghanistan and Ukraine.
- Humanitarian parole is a temporary immigration status that allows individuals facing urgent humanitarian crises to enter the United States legally.
- Humanitarian parole is a legal authority that has been used for nearly a century by Republican and Democratic presidents alike to respond to humanitarian crises. For example, President Eisenhower admitted nearly 30,000 people from Hungary following the collapse of the anti-Communist revolution. From the 1960s–1990s, presidents of both parties used humanitarian parole to establish programs that helped hundreds of thousands people fleeing persecution from Cuba, Vietnam, Indochina, and other areas arrive safely in the United States. And most recently, it has been used to help Afghans after the takeover of their country by the Taliban in 2021; Ukrainians after the Russian invasion in 2022; as well as Venezuelans, Cubans, Nicaraguans fleeing persecution from authoritarian leaders and Haitians seeking safety as their government collapsed.
- Sponsors welcomed them—using their own private resources to provide housing and meet immediate essential needs, help newcomers find employment and enroll kids in school, and extend a helping hand as friends and neighbors to newcomers rebuilding their lives in the United States. These newcomers have contributed to local economies and businesses, becoming our new neighbors, colleagues, and, for many of us, members of our extended family.
- Both the sponsors and newcomers passed thorough background checks, security vetting, and financial reviews carried out by the U.S. government before the newcomers are approved to travel to the United States.
Newcomers who arrive under humanitarian parole then have up to two years to apply for more permanent status. Historically, deportation efforts have not been directed at those who have a pending asylum application.
Individuals with Humanitarian Parole seeking to remain in the United States and those concerned for their safety can consult this guide to alternative legal options for humanitarian parolees. Individuals with questions or concerns about changes to humanitarian parole can contact their federal and local representatives using this guide.
Stay up to date on the latest policy changes and get answers on our website where you will find FAQs, upcoming webinars, and other resources. Our team is committed to keeping this page updated with the latest information as we receive updates.
