President Joe Biden’s administration on Jan. 5 announced steps officials said would improve border security and help slow illegal immigration while helping migrants obtain legal status in the United States.
The administration is expanding a parole program that was restricted to Venezuelans to would-be immigrants from three other countries. People from Cuba, Nicaragua, and Haiti are now eligible for applying for legal status for two years, provided they find a sponsor inside the United States and pass a background check.
Under U.S. immigration law, the secretary of homeland security may grant parole to individuals who would otherwise be illegal in America. The program, launched in October 2022, leveraged that power to thousands of Venezuelans. Up to 30,000 people per month from the four countries who are paroled can come to the United States for two years and be allowed to work. They are required not to come to the border or illegally enter the United States while their application is weighed….