Over the past year, several measures have been enacted by the Biden administration to offer refuge
to hundreds of thousands of new immigrants into the country. These humanitarian parole programs have
been expanded in order to help people escaping war and political turmoil around the world. Immigrants
fleeing places such as Ukraine, Haiti and Latin America can utilize these programs in order to fly to the
United States and quickly secure work authorization, provided they have a private sponsor to take
responsibility for them. Given the protracted stalemate in congress which has prevented long lasting
meaningful reform to take shape, this program's expansion is one noteworthy area of change.
As of mid-April, some 300,000 Ukrainians had arrived in the United States under various
programs. By the end of 2023, about 360,000 Venezuelans, Cubans, Nicaraguans and Haitians are
expected to gain admission through a similar private sponsorship initiative introduced in January to stem
unauthorized crossings at the southern border. The Biden administration also greatly expanded the
number of people in the United States under the Temporary Protected Status program. Nearly 700,000
people from 16 countries have had their protections extended or become newly eligible since President
Biden took office, according to a Pew Research Center report. These temporary humanitarian
programs represent the largest expansion of legal immigration in decades.
These programs are an expansion of the Executive Branch's powers and will likely be challenged
as being too permissive by the GOP, especially with President Biden's announcement for re-
election. Twenty Republican-led states, including Texas, Florida, Tennessee and Arkansas, have sued in
federal court to suspend the parole program for residents of Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela,
arguing that it will admit 360,000 new immigrants a year from those countries and burden states with
additional costs for health care, education and law enforcement.
Contact the Law Offices of Anna Hysell at 760-233-0800 for more information on how to take
advantage of Humanitarian Parole or Temporary Protected Status programs.
Humanitarian Parole Programs set to Expand
