The U.S. government has announced the revocation of legal status for more than 500,000 immigrants. The administration, led by President Donald Trump, stated on Friday that these immigrants would have only a few weeks to leave the country after their status is revoked.
After taking office in January, President Trump pledged to implement the largest deportation operation in U.S. history, particularly targeting immigrants from Latin American countries.
As a result of his executive order, approximately 532,000 immigrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela will be required to leave the U.S. These individuals had arrived under the CHNV program, initiated by former President Joe Biden in October 2022. The program was later expanded in January 2023 but has now been terminated by Trump.
According to a report by AFP, the Department of Homeland Security’s official order will be published in the Federal Register on Tuesday. Immigrants will lose their legal right to stay in the U.S. 30 days after its publication, meaning they must leave by April 24.
Welcome.US, an organization assisting asylum seekers, has urged affected immigrants to seek legal advice immediately.
Biden had introduced the CHNV program as a “safe and humanitarian” measure to manage migration and reduce pressure on the overcrowded U.S.-Mexico border. The program allowed 30,000 immigrants from four Latin American countries to enter and reside in the U.S. for two years. However, reports have surfaced that many of these immigrants have faced human rights violations.
The Department of Homeland Security justified the termination by stating that the program was always intended to be temporary.