28 de octubre 2024
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This week, Forbes reported a dramatic drop in the number of border encounters involving Nicaraguan migrants with U.S. Border Patrol along the southwestern border, largely attributed to the Biden administration’s humanitarian parole policy, which allows a legal pathway for entry into the United States. According to an analysis by the National Foundation for American Policy, encounters with Nicaraguan migrants, as well as Cuban, Haitian, and Venezuelan migrants, decreased by 98% between December 2022 and September 2024. This outcome is a direct result of the Biden administration’s humanitarian parole program, commonly known as “parole.”
This program allows the entry of up to 30,000 people per month from these countries, including work authorization, creating a legal and regulated pathway for those seeking entry into the United States, under the condition of having a sponsor who guarantees that these migrants will not place any financial burden on the public budget. The article titled Undocumented Immigration Has Plummeted By 98% From 4 Key Countries, written by Stuart Anderson on October 25, shares data that demonstrates this impact.
In December 2022, Border Patrol detained 15,280 Nicaraguans, but by September 2024, this number had plummeted to 298. This radical change stands out as one of the most significant achievements in reducing irregular migration from Nicaragua, a country where repression under the Ortega dictatorship has driven mass migration in recent years. According to organizations like the Nicaraguan Freedom Foundation, over 15% of the population has left the country between 2018 and 2023. Most of this migration has been to Costa Rica, which, as of December last year, had received nearly 250,000 asylum applications. The United States is the second most common destination for Nicaraguans, followed by Spain.
In the United States, Anderson’s analysis also indicates that the total number of border encounters in September 2024 was 53,858—significantly lower than the 75,316 encounters recorded in January 2021, during Trump’s last days as president. Despite lower rates of illegal entry now compared to then, Forbes notes this achievement is missing from current campaign discourse. This reduction, especially among Nicaraguan migrants, marks a fundamental shift in migration dynamics to the U.S., highlighting how legal pathways can effectively reduce undocumented immigration.
The Future of Humanitarian Parole
While the current data reflects the success of the humanitarian parole program, its future is uncertain, particularly if the Republican ticket of Donald Trump and JD Vance wins the election. Both have been unequivocal in stating that, if they come to power, they would immediately end humanitarian parole, jeopardizing the lives of thousands of Nicaraguans, Cubans, Haitians, and Venezuelans who currently depend on this program to live and work legally in the United States.
Parole is a temporary measure that allows the entry and stay of certain non-citizens in the United States for urgent humanitarian reasons or public benefit. However, it has clear start and end dates, and it is crucial for beneficiaries to understand that their status in the country is time-limited. During their time in the U.S. under parole, they should consider adjusting their immigration status to avoid falling into illegality once parole expires.
If a new administration ends parole without opening viable alternatives for status adjustment, current beneficiaries could face deportation after two years in the country, especially those who have not been able to regularize their status by the set deadline. This would be devastating for many Nicaraguans fleeing Ortega’s repression and, in some cases, could even leave them in “migratory limbo” if the Nicaraguan regime denies them reentry, as has happened previously.
Seizing the Opportunity Window
Humanitarian parole has provided a temporary solution for thousands of Nicaraguans fleeing political persecution, but it is crucial to remember that this status has an expiration date. With the possibility of program cancellation looming, beneficiaries should take this time to explore other avenues for regularization, such as applying for asylum or adjusting their status through family or employment-based means.
Unfortunately, the future of parole is closely tied to the immigration policy of the administration in power, and, at this time, political polarization in the U.S. makes it uncertain whether these protections will continue.
This article was published in Spanish in Confidencial. To get the most relevant news from our English coverage delivered straight to your inbox, subscribe to The Dispatch.
