The House Homeland Security Committee released documents showing that the majority of migrants who are part of President Biden’s mass parole program are flying into Florida. This program allows migrants from Cuba, Nicaragua, Haiti, and Venezuela to enter the US through ports of entry if they have a sponsor, pass a background check, and demonstrate a significant public benefit or urgent humanitarian reasons for parole. These individuals will receive work permits and permission to stay in the country for two years.
The Department of Homeland Security has processed over 400,000 migrants under this mass-parole program. Documents obtained by the committee cover around 200,000 migrant arrivals between January and August 2023. The top 15 cities where individuals in the program arrived during this time include Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, New York City, Houston, Orlando, Los Angeles, Tampa, Dallas, San Francisco, Atlanta, Newark, Washington, D.C., Chicago, Las Vegas, and Austin.
The House Homeland Security Committee revealed that as of October 2023, there were approximately 1.6 million migrants waiting for approval to enter the US through the parole program. DHS documents noted that all individuals paroled into the country are considered inadmissible. Committee Chairman Mark Green criticized Secretary Mayorkas, alleging that the parole program is being used to hide the worsening border crisis and is not being implemented according to the Immigration and Nationality Act.
The committee had requested information on the CHNV program since April 2023, and after more than 100 days of delays from DHS, they issued a subpoena to obtain the requested documents and information. Several states, including Florida, have filed lawsuits against the Biden administration to stop the mass parole program, claiming it is essentially a new visa program without legal basis. Migrants participating in the program are responsible for arranging their own travel, and the program is open to 30,000 people from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Cuba each month.
The mass parole program implemented by the Biden administration has led to a significant number of migrants flying into the US, with Florida being a major arrival point. Various states have challenged the legality of the program in court, arguing that it is not in accordance with existing immigration laws. The House Homeland Security Committee has been investigating the program and has raised concerns about the implications of allowing inadmissible individuals to enter the country under the guise of significant public benefit or urgent humanitarian reasons.
Secretary Mayorkas has been accused of using the CHNV parole program to obscure the escalating border crisis. The documents obtained by the committee shed light on the scale of the program and the number of migrants seeking approval to enter the US. The program’s implementation has faced criticism for allegedly circumventing immigration laws and potentially endangering national security. The debate over the mass parole program continues to spark controversy and legal challenges as the Biden administration grapples with immigration policy.
