The Trump administration has paused applications for three migrant parole programs established during the Biden era, impacting Ukrainians and migrants from Latin America. This action aims to address what conservatives perceive as an overuse of parole by the previous administration.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has implemented an agency-wide hold on pending benefit requests under these programs. This pause affects applications submitted through the Uniting for Ukraine (U4U) process, the processes for Haitians, Cubans, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans (CHNV), and the Family Reunification Parole (FRP) process. DHS stated the hold is necessary to conduct further vetting for potential fraud, public safety, or national security concerns.

President Trump had previously terminated several parole programs upon retaking office. DHS has also allowed for the cancellation of parole status for individuals already in the U.S. under these programs. Furthermore, a memo from February 14th revealed a pause on pending requests from individuals already admitted under the U4U, CHNV, and FRP programs.

The CHNV program, which granted travel authorization and parole to migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela, faced significant controversy and was temporarily halted last year due to discovered fraud in sponsor applications. The FRP program allowed entry for individuals with U.S. citizen or green card holder relatives while they applied for green cards. While the Biden administration presented these programs as a means to reduce illegal crossings, Republicans criticized them as an abuse of parole authority.

A recent DHS memo highlighted the perceived historical abuse of parole authority by the Executive Branch, stating that the parole statute doesn't authorize categorical programs granting presumptive eligibility based on broad criteria.

This pause is part of a broader series of immigration system changes under the Trump administration, including suspending refugee resettlement, halting the use of the CBP One app for parole, launching a large-scale deportation operation, enhancing border security, reviewing parole programs, and expanding the use of expedited removals for recent illegal arrivals.