Trump administration ends legal stay for over 500,000 migrants From Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, Venezuela

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has begun notifying hundreds of thousands of migrants that their permission to live and work in the United States has been revoked, ordering them to leave the country.

The termination notice, seen by US media, targets nationals from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela who entered the US under a parole programme introduced by the Biden administration, Caliber.Az reports.

More than 500,000 migrants from those four countries were granted temporary entry through the initiative, though it remains unclear how many have since applied for other forms of legal status.

According to DHS, the notice was emailed directly to the applicants. “This notice informs you that your parole is now terminated,” the message reads. “If you do not leave, you may be subject to enforcement actions, including detention and removal, without an opportunity to make personal arrangements to depart in an orderly manner.”

The work permits granted under the scheme will also be cancelled, and recipients have been instructed to return their permits to US immigration authorities.

The move on June 12 reflects the Trump administration’s tougher stance on immigration. President Trump signed an executive order on his first day in office to end the parole programme, prompting legal challenges that reached the Supreme Court. The court has allowed the government to proceed with the deportations while legal proceedings continue in lower courts.

The CHNV programme – referring to Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela – was introduced in 2023 to reduce illegal border crossings. Migrants had to pass security checks and be sponsored by someone lawfully present in the US. While the Biden administration credited the programme with easing pressure at the border, critics, particularly from the Republican Party, argued it was an unlawful use of executive power.

Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said that ending the parole scheme and removing those who “exploited it” marked a return to “common-sense policies” and prioritised “public safety and America First.”

The administration has indicated it will move quickly to deport the estimated 530,000 people who benefited from the programme.

By Aghakazim Guliyev