The Biden Administration will not extend legal status for certain immigrants from Nicaragua, Cuba, Venezuela and Haiti

() – The Joe Biden Administration will not extend legal permits for certain immigrants from Nicaragua, Cuba, Venezuela and Haiti provided through a temporary humanitarian program designed to curb illegal border crossings, requiring them to seek other legal means to remain in the United States. according to the Department of Homeland Security.

The decision comes almost two years after the government launched a new program aimed at Venezuelans seeking to go to the United States, allowing them to live and work temporarily in the country as a way to mitigate surges at the border. The program required them to have a sponsor in the US and undergo testing and verification, as well as complete vaccinations.

The administration later extended it to Nicaraguans, Cubans and Haitians, describing it as a way for immigrants to reach the U.S. in an orderly manner.

However, the program became a political flashpoint, as Republicans argued that the administration was abusing parole authority and frequently cited the program in their criticism of President Joe Biden’s immigration policies.

Through the end of August, nearly 530,000 Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans flew to the U.S. under the policy, according to federal data. The program is still available to new applicants from all four countries, after the government briefly paused it over fraud concerns this summer.

Department of Homeland Security officials maintain that the program was intended to be temporary, giving those who arrived the opportunity to apply for another legal status while in the United States. The government did not guarantee that the program would be extended, although it allowed parole for Ukrainians and Afghans under similar programs.

Parole for certain Venezuelans is scheduled to expire soon, in line with the two-year program. However, it also comes as immigration remains a central campaign issue between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris just weeks before the presidential election.

“As initially stated in the Federal Register notices, a grant of parole under these proceedings was for a temporary period of up to two years. This two-year period was intended to allow individuals to seek humanitarian relief or other immigration benefits for which they may be eligible, and to work and contribute to the United States,” a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said in a statement.

The protections will expire over time, although some may have already sought other legal permissions to remain in the U.S. Those who have not done so will be instructed to apply for another status, leave the U.S. or face deportation cases, which it would potentially leave some in legal limbo.

Venezuelans and Haitians are eligible for Temporary Protected Status (TPS), a form of humanitarian relief, and some who entered the U.S. on parole have already applied for that status, according to Department officials. of National Security. There is a separate and unique process that applies to Cubans, providing them with a direct path to permanent status.

The most affected may be Nicaraguans, who do not have the same options. Asylum is an option for all nationalities, although not everyone qualifies.

The Republican Conference in the US House of Representatives criticized the administration, saying in a post on numerous other ways they could be allowed to stay.”