Work Permits Withdrawn for Humanitarian Parole Recipients in U.S.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on Friday that it has begun informing migrants who entered the country under the humanitarian parole program initiated by the Biden administration that their status, along with their work permits, has been revoked. The electronic notice, sent to Cubans, Nicaraguans, Haitians, and Venezuelans who benefited from this program, indicates that employment authorizations granted under parole have been terminated.

According to the document, which was shared on the platform X by journalist Jennie Taer, the DHS "intends" to rescind work authorizations for over 532,000 individuals admitted to the United States under this initiative, as the condition permitting their entry is no longer in effect. "The DHS has justifiable grounds to determine that your employment authorization should be revoked with the termination of your parole," the notice states. Additionally, it specifies that if the authorization has not yet expired, it will be revoked starting April 24, 2025.

However, migrants may present evidence that they remain under parole in the U.S. by submitting documentation through the myUSCIS platform before April 8, 2025. "The timely submission of contradictory evidence does not impact the termination of your originally granted parole under Cuban, Haitian, Nicaraguan, or Venezuelan parole programs," the document clarifies. The DHS emphasizes that the decision is final: "No appeal will be accepted against the decision to revoke employment authorization. Working without authorization is a violation of the law."

Voluntary Departure or Forced Removal

The measure, which aligns with policies from the Trump administration, urges Cuban, Haitian, Nicaraguan, and Venezuelan recipients of the humanitarian parole program to leave the U.S. voluntarily or face detention and deportation. "Your parole will terminate on the earliest of the following dates: (1) the expiration date of your original parole or (2) April 24, 2025. You must depart the United States now, but no later than the termination date of your parole. Failing to leave on time may have negative immigration consequences," the order warns.

The document further cautions that following the conclusion of parole, migrants may be subject to expedited removal under section 235 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) or subjected to removal proceedings under section 240 of the INA. If migrants lack a legal basis to remain in the country and fail to depart the U.S. by the end of their parole period, they will begin accruing "unlawful presence in the United States," unless "otherwise protected from such accrual."

Accumulating more than 180 days of unlawful presence followed by departure from the U.S. can result in being inadmissible upon reapplying for entry. Additionally, if leaving the country by land, migrants must report their departure once outside the U.S. using the CBP Home mobile application.

Impact of the Parole Program Termination

On March 25, 2025, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security ended the parole programs for citizens of Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela, along with their immediate families. Initiated in 2023 by former President Joe Biden's administration, the humanitarian parole allowed Cubans to enter the U.S. temporarily, provided they had a financial sponsor in the country.

The cancellation primarily affects those who have not yet applied for permanent legal status, such as political asylum or residency through the Cuban Adjustment Act. Most Cubans entering the country under this program have applied for or received permanent residency via the Cuban Adjustment Act. However, approximately 26,000 Cubans arriving after March 2024 have not yet met the one-year physical presence requirement needed to qualify under this law, leaving their immigration status uncertain.