DHS Pauses Humanitarian Parole Programs

On January 23, 2025, the top official at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) reportedly ordered a pause of various humanitarian parole programs while the agency assesses them, following an email order from the acting head of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to conduct such a review. The New York Times, which obtained a copy of the email, reported that the directive “demands an immediate end to ‘final decisions’ on applications related to the programs while the administration reviews them and decides whether to terminate them.” The news report describes the scope of the programs to be paused as “vast.” Affected parole programs include those for Ukrainians, Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans.

The agency orders are aligned with various Trump administration statements and actions, including an executive order (EO), Protecting the American People Against Invasion, which President Trump signed on his first day in office; an order to end “all categorical parole programs that are contrary to the policies of the United States established in my executive orders“; and a memorandum from Acting DHS Secretary Benjamine Huffman, “Guidance Regarding How to Enforce Enforcement Discretion.” A DHS statement said that this action “will return the humanitarian parole program to its original purpose of looking at migrants on a case-by-case basis.”

Yael Schacher, the director of Americas and Europe for Refugees International, said, “This suspension on parole decisions is similar to the suspension of all asylum access at the border and the suspension of the refugee program. It’s a testament to the administration’s hostility to all humanitarian immigration.”

Uniting for Ukraine. Among the paused programs is the Uniting for Ukraine (U4U) Parole Program, implemented after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which permits Ukrainians seeking temporary refuge to travel to and work in the United States. The DHS directive halts the review and adjudication of both initial and renewal parole applications under the U4U program. While not officially terminated, the directive suggests that DHS will not accept new applications for initial parole periods or renewal (or “reparole”) applications for those seeking to extend their parole in United States.

Practitioners have offered tips for Ukrainians currently in the United States, including knowing their rights, avoiding international travel (even with advance parole or similar travel authorizations), and staying informed. Due to heightened scrutiny at ports of entry, travelers risk being denied reentry and may face expedited removal proceedings. Those seeking reentry have reportedly been asked to voluntarily depart or risk detention.

Venezuelan TPS. Kristi Noem, DHS Secretary, canceled the latest extension of Temporary Protected Status for Venezuelans, which will now end on April 1 or September 10, 2025, depending on when they arrived in the United States. USCIS said it “will invalidate EADs; Forms I-797, Notice of Action (Approval Notice); and Forms I-94, Arrival/Departure Record (collectively known as TPS-related documentation) that have been issued with October 2, 2026 expiration dates under the Mayorkas [TPS for Venezuelans] Notice. USCIS will provide refunds to any fees paid by these aliens as well.” USCIS said it “will provide additional guidance regarding the two Venezuela TPS designations on a future date in accordance with applicable laws.” There are more than 300,000 Venezuelans in the United States with TPS.