The Department of Homeland Security announced in the Federal Register that it was revoking humanitarian parole for hundreds of thousands of immigrants living in the United States legally under the Cuban, Haitian, Nicaraguan, and Venezuelan parole program (CHNV). |
For almost 15 years, immigrants in the United States were able to seek medical care, attend school, and access other critical services without much worry of encountering immigration enforcement in these locations. This all changed on the first day of the new Trump administration, when the Department of Homeland Security Secretary revoked a policy that limited federal immigration enforcement in so-called protected areas.
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On March 25, media reports surfaced indicating that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)—the agency in charge of adjudicating green card applications—stopped processing those filed by asylees and refugees.
The suspension would affect refugees, which the U.S. government has already vetted and authorized to enter the country, as well as asylees, who are also vetted during their immigration court or administrative proceedings. In its statement to the press, DHS said that the suspension was a temporary and necessary measure to conduct additional “vetting” of the applicants. However, neither DHS nor USCIS gave further details about the suspension of processing applications and the public has little information about this new policy.
The American Immigration Council and the American Immigration Lawyers Association filed requests under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) with both DHS and USCIS to inform the public about this suspension.
Read more: Council and AILA Submit FOIA Request Seeking Information on Trump Administration Suspension of Green Card Applications |
With ongoing disappearances to a notorious El Salvador prison—without giving the accused a chance to hear the evidence against them or to see a judge—the Trump administration is attacking core American rights: due process and a fair day in court.
In a webinar last week, the Council discussed these deportations and their larger implications for our country.
Read more: To El Salvador And Beyond: Third Country Removals, Due Process and Trump's Assault On Rights |
