Trump Administration Revokes Legal Status for 530,000 Migrants

Millichronicle — Sat, 22 Mar 2025 10:01:11 +0000

Washington — The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has announced plans to revoke temporary legal status for over 530,000 migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela.

These individuals have been instructed to leave the country before their permits and deportation protections are terminated on April 24, as per a federal notice.

The affected migrants were admitted under a Biden-era sponsorship initiative known as CHNV, which aimed to provide legal pathways for migration. However, Trump suspended the program upon assuming office.

It remains uncertain how many of these migrants have secured alternative legal status that would allow them to stay in the U.S.

Background of the CHNV Program

Initiated in 2022 under Democratic President Joe Biden, the CHNV program initially focused on Venezuelans before expanding to include additional nationalities. The initiative allowed eligible migrants and their immediate family members to enter the U.S. with American sponsors and remain for two years under a temporary immigration status called parole.

The Biden administration had advocated that CHNV would reduce illegal border crossings while ensuring thorough vetting of entrants. However, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) criticized the program, stating it had not met its intended goals.

In a statement, DHS officials accused the previous administration of using the program to facilitate job competition between migrants and American workers, compelling civil servants to support the initiative despite evidence of fraud, and blaming congressional Republicans for subsequent border issues.

Potential Exceptions and Further Policy Changes

While the Federal Register’s 35-page notice confirmed the program’s termination, it suggested that some CHNV recipients might be permitted to stay on a case-by-case basis.

Trump is also reportedly reviewing the temporary legal status of approximately 240,000 Ukrainians who sought refuge in the U.S. during Russia’s invasion.

The CHNV program had allowed:

213,000 Haitians to enter the U.S. amid worsening conditions in their homeland.

120,700 Venezuelans, 110,900 Cubans, and over 93,000 Nicaraguans to seek refuge before Trump ended the initiative.

Termination of Other Immigration Protections

Last month, DHS announced the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 500,000 Haitians as of August 2025. TPS, a designation for nationals from countries facing extreme conditions such as armed conflict or natural disasters, had also been revoked for Venezuelans, though this decision is currently facing legal challenges.

Since taking office in January, Trump’s immigration policies have encountered several legal obstacles, raising questions about the long-term future of these measures and their broader impact on affected migrant communities.

US promises to deliver aid to Haiti and help local police counter armed gangs

Millichronicle — Thu, 13 Oct 2022 16:21:32 +0000

Washington (Reuters) – The United States on Wednesday said it will boost support for the Haitian police as they battle armed gangs and will speed up delivery of aid to a country suffering from crippling shortages of basic goods due to a gang blockade of a key fuel terminal.

Haitian gangs have for a month prevented the distribution of diesel and gasoline, crippling businesses and hospitals and creating shortages of basic goods including water just as the country is struggling with a new outbreak of cholera.

The State Department has created a new visa restriction policy targeting those who support the gangs and has sent a Coast Guard vessel to patrol Haitian waters.

US officials who briefed reporters on Washington’s response stopped short of offering to send troops to the island nation despite appeals from the Haitian government for an international armed force.

“We are … working to increase and deploy in the coming days security assistance to the Haitian National Police to strengthen their capacity to counter gangs and re-establish a stable security environment,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.

“We will accelerate the delivery of additional humanitarian relief to the people of Haiti.”

Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Brian Nichols on Wednesday traveled to Port-au-Prince with a delegation that includes Lieutenant General Andrew Croft of the US Southern Command, the State Department said.

During an earlier phone briefing with reporters, a senior Biden administration official said it was “premature to talk about just a US security presence” when asked whether Washington had ruled out sending troops.

Sporadic looting and gun battles between gangs and police have become increasingly common in recent weeks as the shortages have led to mounting desperation. Protests to demand interim Prime Minister Ariel Henry’s resignation have at times devolved into looting.

The Pan American Health Organization on Wednesday said civil unrest is making it harder to contain the outbreak of cholera, adding that 18 deaths have been confirmed as of Oct. 9 and hundreds of potential cases are being studied.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has proposed that one or several countries send “a rapid action force” to help Haiti’s police, according to a letter to the UN Security Council, without suggesting that the force be deployed by the United Nations.

Another Biden administration official during the phone briefing said the travel bans were meant to hold accountable those who are linked to the gangs.

“Our intent in doing so is to demonstrate that there are consequences for those who fund and foment violence in Haiti,” the official said.

Haiti – The Milli Chronicle

Trump Administration Revokes Legal Status for 530,000 Migrants

US promises to deliver aid to Haiti and help local police counter armed gangs