The suspension of a contentious parole initiative by the Biden administration, which permits tens of thousands of migrants to enter the U.S. monthly, has ignited discussions following recent fraud allegations associated with sponsors. Conservatives are intensifying their calls for the program’s complete elimination.
The Department of Homeland Security has put a hold on the issuance of advance travel authorizations for the program, designed to allow up to 30,000 nationals from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela (CHNV) to legally enter the U.S. each month under specific conditions. This pause was first reported by Fox News Digital on Friday.
“Permanently shut it down,” said Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., on Friday. “This initiative should never have existed in the first place. It represents yet another instance of the Biden-Harris administration permitting unchecked entrance to hundreds of thousands of foreign nationals into our country.”
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“This is further proof of another failed border policy under the Biden-Harris administration. The only surprising aspect is their acknowledgment of it,” Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., remarked on X.
“Terminate the illegal CHNV parole program indefinitely and ensure the deportation of every illegal alien, especially those allowed entry via this scheme by the Biden/Harris administration,” Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo., stated on X.
A source within Congress informed Fox News Digital that the suspension took effect in mid-July after an internal investigation uncovered significant fraud in applications submitted by sponsors. DHS confirmed that the pause was initiated while they review the applications from sponsors, emphasizing that the focus is on the supporter submissions rather than those from the program’s beneficiaries.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas speaks on Capitol Hill, on April 10. (AP/Mark Schiefelbein)
“DHS has established mechanisms to detect and prevent fraud and abuse within our immigration systems. We take any misuse of our processes very seriously,” a DHS spokesperson commented. “In cases where fraud is detected, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will investigate and, if applicable, proceed with legal action in immigration court and refer the cases to the Department of Justice.”
“As a precautionary measure, DHS has temporarily halted the issuance of advanced travel authorizations for new beneficiaries while reviewing supporter applications. We will resume processing applications as soon as possible, with necessary safeguards,” they added.
The program enables those qualified to enter legally if they have a supporter in the U.S. and have passed biographic and biometric vetting. While it does not provide flights and migrants are responsible for their own travel arrangements, it grants them the ability to obtain work permits and reside in the U.S. for two years. It was initiated in early 2023.
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A migrant flight takes off to Chicago from Texas on Dec. 19, 2023. (Gov. Greg Abbott)
The suspension was prompted by an internal report uncovering that applications from potential sponsors contained repeated instances of information like Social Security numbers and ZIP codes being utilized multiple times.
Parts of the report shared with Fox News Digital by the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), a conservative immigration advocacy group, revealed that 100,948 forms had been submitted by 3,218 serial sponsors, indicating those whose numbers appeared on 20 or more forms.
House Homeland Security Committee Chair Mark Green, R-Tenn., stated that the report “validates every caution we have voiced regarding the unlawful CHNV mass-parole initiative.”
“It also unveils the falsehoods propagated by officials in the administration, including the now-impeached DHS Secretary Mayorkas, about the thoroughness and extent of the vetting process – not only for the ineligible aliens seeking entry but also for those sponsoring them,” Green elaborated. “We issued a subpoena last year to compel the release of documents related to this program, and while DHS partially complied, the department is still delinquent in providing certain documents and communications linked to the program.”
Speaker Mike Johnson has called for the termination of the program. (Getty Images)
“This is exactly what occurs when an unlawful mass-parole program is instituted to spare your administration from the political repercussions and negative perceptions surrounding overwhelmed borders. The Biden-Harris administration must terminate the CHNV program immediately.”
Conservatives have consistently argued that this program misuses parole authority — which permits foreign nationals to be admitted for urgent humanitarian needs or significant public benefit on a case-by-case basis. A coalition of Republican states launched a lawsuit against the program, which was dismissed by a district judge earlier this year.
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Gene Hamilton, vice president and general counsel of America First Legal, the organization that initiated the lawsuit, asserted that this program “not only blatantly violates immigration laws established by Congress, but it also fosters opportunities for fraud against the American populace and government.”
“The Biden administration was fully aware of the risks of fraud associated with this program, yet they proceeded,” Hamilton remarked in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Almost half a million illegal aliens are already within the U.S. through this initiative. The open borders agenda of the Biden-Harris administration lacks any form of limitation, and this program must be permanently dismantled.”
DHS emphasized to Fox News Digital that CHNV beneficiaries undergo “comprehensive screening and vetting prior to their arrival in the United States.”
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“The multi-layered screening and vetting for advanced travel authorizations operates separately from the vetting of U.S.-based supporters,” the spokesperson added. “DHS has not identified any concerns regarding the screening and vetting of beneficiaries.”
The White House, in its statement, expressed that “any reports of abuse of lawful processes are worrisome and should be thoroughly investigated.”
“The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to holding accountable those who perpetrate fraud,” they concluded.
Fox News’ Jacqui Heinrich contributed to this report.
