US freezes immigration applications for migrants from Latin America, Ukraine Citing Fraud Concerns

The Trump administration has placed a freeze on all immigration applications submitted by migrants from Latin American countries and Ukraine, who entered the United States under specific Biden-era programs.

According to an internal memo obtained by US media, this decision, which has not been publicly disclosed until now, was driven by concerns over fraud and national security risks, Caliber.Az reports.

The suspension will remain in place indefinitely as government officials work to address these issues. The pause affects migrants who were in the process of applying for various immigration benefits that could have granted them legal, and in some cases, permanent status in the U.S.

The Trump administration's directive applies to multiple Biden-era programmes that facilitated the entry of hundreds of thousands of migrants into the U.S. under a provision of immigration law known as "parole." This law allows the U.S. government to grant temporary entry to individuals on humanitarian or public benefit grounds, bypassing traditional visa processes.

Under President Biden's administration, the parole programme was utilized on an unprecedented scale. Its aim was partly to encourage migrants to use legal channels for entry rather than crossing the U.S.-Mexico border unlawfully.

However, the Trump administration swiftly moved to suspend these efforts, citing abuse of parole authority. This latest freeze, announced in a memo dated February 14, specifically targets three key programmes, including the Uniting for Ukraine initiative, which provided a safe haven for those fleeing the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Around 240,000 Ukrainians arrived under this programme before the Trump administration took office. Another programme, known as CHNV, allowed 530,000 migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela, who were sponsored by U.S. citizens, to enter the country. A third programme enabled migrants from Colombia, Ecuador, Central America, Haiti, and Cuba to enter while waiting for a family-based green card.

As many of these migrants were granted only temporary work permits and deportation protections, many applied for further immigration benefits, such as Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for citizens of crisis-stricken nations like Haiti, Ukraine, and Venezuela, asylum, and permanent residency (green cards). Under the new directive, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is prohibited from processing any of these applications for those who entered under the suspended programmes.

Lynden Melded, a former USCIS lawyer and current partner at a law firm, explained that this freeze effectively halts migrants’ ability to adjust their legal status. He noted that, in the meantime, many of these individuals remain vulnerable to deportation if their parole status is revoked.

The suspension has been justified by concerns raised in the memo, which claimed that USCIS’ adjudicative systems have not properly flagged fraud or national security issues. Specifically, the memo pointed to instances of fraud involving CHNV applications, including cases of "serial sponsors," deceased individuals, and identical addresses, which were identified through investigations.

The pause will remain until a comprehensive review of those granted parole under these programmes is completed.

By Aghakazim Guliyev