HARLINGEN, Texas (Border Report) — On World Refugee Day on Thursday, Republican lawmakers on the House Homeland Security Committee criticized a Biden administration parole program for certain groups of asylum-seekers.
The parole program allows up to 30,000 individuals from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela to come to the United States every month if they meet certain qualifications.
But GOP lawmakers say that documents obtained by the Center for Immigration Studies as part of a court case have found that individuals are departing for the United States from not just these four countries but from more than 70 countries worldwide, including Australia, Brazil, Egypt, Great Britain, Hong Kong and Sweden, and are being granted parole.
Migrants walk past large buoys being used as a floating border barrier on the Rio Grande, Aug. 1, 2023, in Eagle Pass, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)
“It’s bad enough that this program exists in the first place, as it clearly violates the limits on parole established in the immigration laws passed by bipartisan congressional majorities. Worse still is the fact that these departure locations show that many of those who have left the CHNV countries seeking economic opportunity or a better life have found it in prosperous nations through Europe, Asia, and elsewhere,” House Homeland Security Chairman Rep. Mark Green, R-Tennessee, said in a statement.
The Department of Homeland Security says on its website that up to 30,000 individuals from these four countries — Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela — will be paroled into the United States each month but does not specify whether the individuals can enter the United States from other countries.
“The U.S. government is implementing these comprehensive efforts to reduce the irregular migration of Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans, to lawfully and safely bring qualifying individuals into the United States on a case-by-case basis for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit,” the website says.
Border Report has reached out to DHS to ask if the program allows migrants to travel from other countries. This story will be updated if the information is received.
The program was extended in January 2023 to include Haitians, Cubans and Nicaraguans. It had existed since October 2022 but only for Venezuelans.
Since January 2023, more than 434,000 migrants have arrived at U.S. ports of entry seeking asylum through this program, according to data obtained by the committee.
According to the data, over 91,000 migrants flew into Miami, Florida, for the program. The other top destinations included:
60,400 flew into Fort Lauderdale, Florida
14,800 flew into New York City
7,900 flew into Houston
6,000 flew into Orlando, Florida
3,200 flew into Los Angeles
Thursday is World Refugee Day “a day on which we honor people who have been forced to flee,” Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said in a statement.
“At this time in the world, a time of increased repression, conflict, hunger, extreme weather, and other threatening forces, there are more than 100 million people displaced from their homes,” he said. “The global displacement is unprecedented in scale. Our country is steadfast in our commitment to serve as a country of refuge for those who qualify for relief under our laws.”
Mayorkas was himself a refugee when he arrived from Cuba in 1960 with his parents and sister.
“Our country gave us a new future, just as it has done for so many from across the globe,” he said.
On Thursday, 77 Democratic lawmakers introduced a resolution in Congress affirming the United States’ commitment to supporting the safety, health and welfare of refugees.
“United States leadership in responding with humanitarian assistance and ensuring protections for refugees and displaced persons is a testament to our own history and a demonstration of moral leadership. On this World Refugee Day, our resolution honors the aspirations and contributions of refugees globally,” U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee said in a statement.
According to the United Nations, 108 million people have been forcibly displaced worldwide.
“World Refugee Day is an opportunity for the United States to celebrate the many ways in which refugees contribute to our communities,” said Eleanor Acer, of Human Rights First, which was among dozens of nonprofits that supported the resolution.
“June 20th has always been about celebrating the resilience and humanity of those forced from their homes. It is about our futures together. It is about our shared belief that people have more in common than they sometimes think,” said Erol Kekic of the nonprofit Church World Service. “Members of Congress know that refugees enrich our communities.
Sandra Sanchez can be reached at SSanchez@BorderReport.com.
Read: Read More