This program, which also includes citizens of Nicaragua, Venezuela and Haiti, has benefited more than 520,000 people in total.
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has revealed that, since the start of the humanitarian parole program in January 2023 through July 2024, approximately 110,000 Cubans have been authorized to enter the United States.
According to the data provided, the program has allowed the legal entry of 109,000 Cubans, 205,000 Haitians, 90,000 Nicaraguans and 115,000 Venezuelans, who obtained conditional freedom under this process.
In July 2024, 4,870 Cubans managed to enter U.S. territory through this initiative, raising the total number since June, when 104,130 Cuban beneficiaries were counted.
Humanitarian parole suspended
However, in mid-July, the US government temporarily suspended the issuance of advance travel authorizations for the program, following an internal report warning of significant levels of fraud in the applications.
According to a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), this measure was taken “out of an abundance of caution” and affects applications from Cubans, Haitians and Nicaraguans from July 18, 2024, and from Venezuelans from the 6th of the same month.
Authorities have identified several types of fraud, including the use of Social Security numbers belonging to deceased individuals, incorrect addresses to avoid providing the actual address of residence of beneficiaries, and unauthorized use of sponsor data.
Immigration attorney Jose Guerrero warned that beneficiaries whose cases are linked to fraud could lose their parole.
He also stressed the importance of documenting each step of the process to prove that one was not involved in fraudulent activities. The penalties for committing fraud in this program can reach up to 10 years in prison.
As sponsor applications are being reviewed, a significant decrease in the number of authorizations is expected for August, which could impact the flow of new beneficiaries in the coming weeks.
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