The United States government temporarily suspended travel permits for beneficiaries of the humanitarian parole program.
The measure is due to the detection of significant levels of fraud, as confirmed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to local media.
The DHS clarified that the review focuses on the requests of the sponsors and not on those of the program’s beneficiaries, says Martí Noticias.
A congressional source told Fox News Digital that the pause came in mid-July after an internal report revealed large amounts of fraud in applications from applicants’ sponsors.
The program, initially announced for Venezuelans in October 2022, allows entry to the United States if applicants have not entered illegally, have a sponsor in that country and pass a biometric and biographical review. Then, in January 2023, it was expanded to include Haitians, Nicaraguans and Cubans.
In January 2023, the program was expanded to include Haitians, Nicaraguans and Cubans, allowing the entry of up to 30.000 people per month. Recipients may receive work permits and a two-year authorization to reside in the United States.
Fox News reported that U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents stopped issuing travel authorizations to Venezuelans on July 6 and to the other three nationalities on July 18, citing a congressional source.
That is why, “out of an abundance of caution,” it has stopped the issuance of advance travel authorizations for this program.
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2024-08-03 11:19:03