President Donald Trump's administration has suspended several special programs for certain groups of immigrants.
Based on the decision, the federal agency 'United States Citizenship and Immigration Services' (USCIS) has stopped processing applications for permanent residence of immigrants who entered the United States using these programs. The ban affects the cases of those who entered the United States through programs such as "Uniting for Ukraine" (U4U), the "Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans (CHNV) program and the Family Reunification Program (FRP).
An official told VOA via email that the reason for the suspension was a review of the programs due to risks to national security.
"The decision is related to the completion of additional investigations to identify fraud and concerns about the risk to public and national security," a US Department of Homeland Security official told Voice of America on condition of anonymity.
These immigrant programs began during President Joe Biden's administration as part of an effort to curb irregular migration by providing legal pathways for certain groups. The executive branch was granted this authority by Congress in 1952, allowing the president to admit individuals to the United States for urgent humanitarian reasons.
About 530,000 citizens from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela were allowed to enter the United States under the CHNV program. In addition, about 350,000 Americans provided assistance to about 240,000 Ukrainians through the U4U program, according to the American network CBS News.
Beneficiaries of any humanitarian immigrant program had to meet all the program's requirements. These included securing a U.S. citizen to provide financial support, passing security screening, and meeting vaccination requirements. They also had to pay their own travel expenses if they received travel authorization from the U.S. government.
These programs allowed approved applicants to live and work legally in the United States temporarily, but this did not lead to permanent residency.
The Trump administration is now requiring additional vetting to protect national security and ensure the integrity of the immigration system, according to the Department of Homeland Security official.
The Trump administration has not provided details on what prompted this review or how long it might take.
Kathleen Bush-Joseph, a policy analyst at the Migration Policy Institute, wrote on the social network 'X' that despite this suspension, people "cannot be deported without a removal order."
The ban does not affect the right of Cubans to benefit from another program that allows them to apply for permanent residence after one year of residence in the United States.
Haitians may also qualify for temporary protected status, which allows them to work. Along with Nicaraguan citizens, they have the option of applying for asylum. However, they must demonstrate with evidence that they fear persecution in their country of origin based on race, religion, nationality, social group, or political opinion.
Venezuelans in the United States can still apply for asylum. However, the Trump administration ended a program that allows them to apply for regular immigration status, created in 2023 for hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans, deciding to let it expire on April 7, 2025.
Those who choose to seek asylum must demonstrate with evidence that they are at risk of persecution in their countries of origin based on race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion.
The now-defunct family reunification program, originally created for Haitians and Cubans, was expanded in August 2023 to include citizens from Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras.
The program allows people who have received family reunification visas to enter and remain in the United States while awaiting approval of their application for a green card, or permanent residence.
Migrant activists warn that suspending these programs risks increased delays in processing immigrant applications.
Iryna Mazur, honorary consul of Ukraine in Pennsylvania and an attorney on immigration issues, told VOA that despite the suspension of the program, immigration laws remained in effect.
"What this suspension means is that from today we expect long delays in reviewing all applications," she says.
What's next?
The administration does not say when the review of applications will resume.
It remains unclear whether those who used the now-suspended programs will have to reapply or whether their now-suspended cases will be reviewed at some other time. The Trump administration's decision is expected to face lawsuits and opposition from organizations that support immigrants.
"I am fully confident that the legal community that deals with immigrants in the United States will respond appropriately," Ms. Mazur added. VOA (A2 Televizion)
A2 CNN Livestream
MUND TE LEXONI GJITHASHTU
