Trump Administration Ends Legal Status for Over 500,000 Migrants, Orders Departure by April 24

Trump administration has announced plans to revoke the temporary legal status of more than 530,000 migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela, ordering them to leave the U.S. by April 24. The decision, revealed in a federal notice, will effectively dismantle a Biden-era program that offered temporary legal protection and work authorization to migrants from these nations.

The migrants were brought into the U.S. under the CHNV sponsorship program, launched in 2022 by then-President Joe Biden. Initially designed for Venezuelans, the initiative was later expanded to include Cubans, Haitians, and Nicaraguans. It allowed migrants and their families to enter the U.S. with the support of American sponsors and remain for two years under temporary parole status. The program aimed to create safer, legal migration pathways while curbing illegal crossings at the southern border.

However, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) criticized the program, stating it failed to achieve its objectives. In a statement, the agency accused the Biden administration of granting migrants “opportunities to compete for American jobs and undercut American workers” while disregarding cases of fraud. DHS also blamed the Biden administration for the ensuing “chaos and crime.”

While the termination notice directs the majority of CHNV beneficiaries to leave by April 24, it allows for case-by-case exceptions, according to the 35-page Federal Register notice. Still, immigration advocates have condemned the decision.

Karen Tumlin, founder of the Justice Action Center in California, vowed to challenge the policy in court. “This is devastating for people who followed all the rules, paid the fees, and waited in line,” Tumlin told the BBC. “Now, with as little as 30 days’ notice, they are being forced out—despite having up to 18 months left on their original grant.”

The revocation impacts over 213,000 Haitians, who fled deteriorating conditions in the Caribbean nation, as well as 120,700 Venezuelans, 110,900 Cubans, and 93,000 Nicaraguans. It is unclear how many of these individuals have secured alternative legal statuses to remain in the U.S.

Trump is also reportedly considering the cancellation of temporary legal status for 240,000 Ukrainians who sought refuge in the U.S. following the Russian invasion. Additionally, last month, DHS announced it would terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 500,000 Haitians in August—another move facing legal challenges.

Since returning to office in January, Trump’s administration has faced mounting legal battles over its immigration policies. The rollback of CHNV is expected to trigger further lawsuits and intensify the already heated political debate over immigration policy in the U.S.

Immigration rights groups and advocacy organizations have vowed to fight the measure, warning that it could result in large-scale deportations and family separations.