White House resumes humanitarian parole for Cubans, Venezuelans, Nicaraguans and Haitians

The White House on Thursday restarted the humanitarian parole for Cubans, Venezuelans, Nicaraguans and Haitians. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS)had paused it momentarily due to concerns related to fraud cases.

With this news, people from the four countries will be able to fly back into the United States under the immigration plan, which involves the ability to live and work in the country for a period of two years if they pass health and background checks.

The Biden Administration's initiative had been suspended in early August after the review of sponsorship applications had raised fraud concerns. During the temporary pause, it was analyzed on a case-by-case basis to verify that there had been no irregularities. However, they did identify some instances of fraud or unqualified sponsors.

The program returns with enhanced security measures to prevent fraud, such as additional scrutiny of sponsors' financial records and criminal histories.

"DHS is committed to holding accountable individuals who commit fraud or attempt to exploit others for profit. Anyone who has committed fraud or other abuse will be referred to authorities for possible prosecution," an agency spokesman said.

It is estimated that more than half a million people from Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Haiti have come to the United States through this program, which was inaugurated by the Biden Administration in 2023 to try to discourage illegal immigration.