The process of parole on humanitarian grounds in the United States has been the subject of attention and debate in recent months. This immigration benefit allows citizens of Cuba, Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Haiti to apply for visas to enter the United States.
August 24 was the date agreed by the parties to start the process that will decide the future of this program. At the moment it is a proposal pending a judge signing the order
The originally planned date was June 13, so delaying until August would give more families a chance to submit their applications and be considered for this immigration benefit.
On one side are the plaintiffs, represented by the 21 Attorneys General of the states governed by the Republican Party, on the other side: the federal government. Both parties have different stances on the humanitarian parole program and hope the process will determine their future.
Meanwhile, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) continues to process probation cases in its offices as usual. USCIS has the capacity to resolve 1,000 cases per day, processing 500 at random and the remainder in chronological order. With the trial pushed back to August, there’s a chance that another 72,000 people will have the opportunity to be paroled during that period.
However, many parole applicants worry that the judge might order a temporary suspension of the program. This uncertainty creates fear and anxiety among those waiting for an answer to reunite with their families or to seek better living conditions in the United States.
The humanitarian probation program provides for a maximum of 30,000 visas per month for citizens of the countries mentioned. Overwhelming demand has resulted in USCIS receiving more than 1.5 million applications, resulting in long wait times and a file backlog.
In the specific case of Cuban citizens, around 380,000 files are pending, while only 29,000 have managed to enter the United States so far.