US won't extend legal status for hundreds of thousands of migrants

Photo: REUTERS/Carlos Barria

The Biden administration will not extend a program that allows temporary entry into the country on humanitarian grounds for hundreds of thousands of migrants who have arrived in the United States in recent years, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said on Friday, October 4, Reuters reports.

About 530,000 migrants from Nicaragua, Cuba, Haiti and Venezuela have entered the United States by air since October 2022 and have received two-year grants under the "temporary entry permit" program. stay” which expires in the coming weeks.

However, many of these migrants may remain in the country under other programs.

The Temporary Permit Program allows migrants with U.S. sponsors to enter the country for humanitarian reasons or if their entry is deemed to provide a significant public good. The program will continue to accept new applications from those abroad.

The Biden administration launched the program to provide migrants with a path to legal entry and reduce illegal crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border. Record numbers of migrants were apprehended during Biden's presidency, but border crossings have dropped sharply in recent months as Biden has imposed new border restrictions.

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Immigration is a major issue in the upcoming U.S. presidential election. Republican candidate Donald Trump has been a vocal critic of the temporary resident permit program.

The decision not to extend the four-country temporary stay program is consistent with the plan originally outlined by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the organization's spokeswoman, Nari Ketoudat, said in a statement. Migrants who are not authorized to remain in the U.S. “will be required to leave the United States before the program expires; otherwise, they may be subject to removal proceedings,” Ketudat said.

In turn, temporary stay programs for Ukrainians and Afghans have been extended.

Most migrants from these four countries, who are allowed entry under the so-called CHNV program, are able to stay in the United States.

Many Cubans are eligible for permanent residence and subsequent citizenship under the Cuban Adjustment Act of 1966.

Most Haitians and Venezuelans in the United States are eligible for temporary status, which gives them the right to exemption from deportation and work permits.

Prepared by: Sergey Daga