Statement from Reps. Cherfilus-McCormick, Castro, Jacobs, and Kamlager-Dove in Support of CHNV Parole Program

WASHINGTON – Today, Reps. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL), Joaquin Castro (D-TX), Sara Jacobs (D-CA), and Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA) released the following statement in response to reports that Senate negotiators are considering proposals that would substantially weaken or end the Biden-Harris Administration’s Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela parole program:

“Putting an end to the Biden-Harris Administration’s Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela (CHNV) parole program or severely restricting the President’s parole authority would exacerbate challenges at our Southern border and deal a cruel blow to migrants who depend on this vital lifeline for survival.

“The parole program has brought much-needed reform to our nation’s broken immigration system. It has resulted in a 92 percent drop in monthly Border Patrol apprehensions. Without the humanitarian parole program, 30,000 people per month from these countries would likely come to the U.S.-Mexico border, straining the resources of border communities and immigration enforcement agencies, enriching human traffickers, and endangering families who would be forced to travel through areas dominated by organized crime, including the Darién Gap and regions of northern Mexico.

“Citizens from those countries are fleeing brutal dictators or, in the case of Haiti, a total collapse of governance and security. The CHNV program and the President’s use of parole authority at ports of entry are common-sense efforts to make inevitable protection-seeking migration more orderly and humane. It would be counterproductive and dangerous to eliminate or severely restrict the President’s parole authority through the CHNV program or at ports of entry and we strongly oppose any overbearing legislative limitations on these executive immigration authorities. 

“For many of these individuals, this is an absolute matter of life or death. Whether migrants are fleeing persecution and imminent harm from Ukraine or the Americas, the United States must remain steadfast in its commitment to protecting those most deserving of our help and live up to this nation’s values.”