The United States government has pledged that it will process all requests for humanitarian parole to legally emigrate from recipient countries of this program, including Cuba.
This was confirmed by Blas Núñez-Neto, undersecretary of homeland security, in an interview with a South Florida broadcaster, urging people from those countries to use this legal route to immigrate to the United States because “it is much better than arriving. “illegal.”
In his speech, the official cleared up several of the common doubts of those who applied for the program launched by the Joe Biden administration last January, the El Nuevo Herald newspaper reported.
The route, established to alleviate the unprecedented southern border migration crisis last year, grants visas to about 30,000 citizens of Cuba, Nicaragua, Haiti and Venezuela to enter the United States.
Though Washington has consistently defended the program for the first few months, it has been widely criticized, mostly for delays in approving it or providing answers to those who want to take advantage of it.
“What we have announced is that each day half of the applications processed will be processed in chronological order, i.e. the order in which they were submitted. The other half will be processed randomly,” Núñez-Neto clarified, quoted by the source.
“Someone who applied yesterday might be processed tomorrow, but someone who has waited can be assured that their application will be processed,” he explained.
Due to the high level of interest in the humanitarian parole process, USCIS has updated the review process effective May 17, 2023.
Because the number of potential supporters who have filed Forms I-134A is well over 30,000… pic.twitter.com/84Qe1lVhnH
— Embassy of the United States in Cuba (@USEmbCuba) June 23, 2023
El Nuevo Herald notes that around 28,000 Cubans have benefited from humanitarian parole so far, a number lower than that of Venezuelans (51,000) and Haitians (about 40,000) but approved but higher than that of Nicaraguans (23,000 probation).
Regarding these disparities, the Undersecretary for National Security explained that before the change in procedure, “applications were approved in the order in which they were received, and the figures show that demand from the Haitian community was very strong in the first few months”.
“But now that we have the lottery, it seems to me that these numbers will be more even across countries,” he mused.
The official, in turn, emphasized that people choose this route of legal immigration to the United States and not illegal routes that could cost them deportation or imprisonment.
“I keep telling the friends of these four countries to wait, be patient and use this legal process, which is much better than entering illegally and likely being sent back to their countries or Mexico and not entering for more than five years can.” he said.
Cubans in times of “probation”: the new island migration experience
“There are many criticisms that this probation program has generated, including the criticism voiced daily by many Cuban families who have had to separate due to the apparent disorganization on the part of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS),” he said . The New Herald.
As an example of the former, the publication cites the cases of minors who, unlike their parents, do not receive authorization, “forcing them to find themselves at a crossroads as to whether to remain in the care of their children or take the opportunity to get there.” to go.” to the USA”.
The humanitarian probation program is in the crosshairs of the Republican Party, which has filed a lawsuit on behalf of the states it governs to stop its implementation.
In early June, Texas federal judge Drew B. Tipton ruled that the trial to decide the program’s fate is delayed until August 24.
The judge explained that the request to freeze the implementation of the program will be considered as part of the process and that the parties must present their proposals and conclusions on the disagreements by September 29 at the latest.
Experts on legal and immigration issues assume that the decision on this matter will not be made until the end of this year at the earliest.
The decision to extend the trial period was made at the request of the parties to the dispute, taking into account the amount of evidence and witnesses involved in the preparation of the case.