As of now, 531,000 foreign nationals have been allowed into the country through the program.
During a hearing on Dec. 4, Republican members of a House Judiciary subcommittee criticized the director of a controversial immigration parole program for not providing answers. Rep. Tom McClintock (R-Calif.), chairman of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement, requested statistics from Ur Jaddou, director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), regarding the Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela (CHNV) program. Specifically, they wanted to know the number of CHNV parolees whose authorization had expired but were still working.
“I don’t have those numbers with me,” Jaddou responded when asked.
McClintock noted that the subcommittee had requested this information in October. Jaddou confirmed that employment authorization was linked to the same period as parole, meaning that once parole ended, so did employment.
President-elect Donald Trump has promised to carry out mass deportations of illegal immigrants once he begins his second term in office in January.
Jaddou defended USCIS and highlighted the agency’s efforts to streamline the immigration process for improved efficiency. She stated, “My goal every day has been to ensure USCIS is able to uphold America’s promise as a nation of welcome and possibility with fairness, integrity, and respect for all we serve.”
The CHNV parole program allows up to 30,000 nationals from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela to enter the U.S. per month, granting them the ability to stay for up to two years and obtain work permits.
Republican lawmakers argued that the parole program was intended for individual cases, not as a method for mass immigration.
In a November report by the House Committee on the Judiciary and Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement, it was alleged that the Biden administration had set up pathways for illegal immigrants from the four countries to enter the U.S. without Congressional approval.
So far, the CHNV program has permitted 531,000 foreign nationals to enter the country.
Over the past four years, approximately 11 million illegal immigrants have entered the U.S. as part of the Biden administration’s open border policy, which critics describe as a national crisis.
Congressional subcommittee members also discussed fraud accusations outlined in an internal report on the parole program. Parolees must have a sponsor who provides financial support throughout their stay in the U.S. and must purchase their own plane tickets to qualify for the program.
Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Az.) questioned Jaddou about sponsor applications using the same social security number to sponsor multiple foreign nationals, citing the report that indicated a single sponsor completing paperwork for numerous individuals.
Jaddou responded, “I don’t have that report in front of me.”
The CHNV program was halted after an internal USCIS report revealed fraudulent information in thousands of sponsor application forms.
Documents showed that numerous Social Security numbers, addresses, and phone numbers were repeatedly used. Additionally, 100,948 forms were completed by 3,218 serial sponsors, and 24 of the most used sponsor Social Security numbers belonged to deceased individuals.
The Federation for American Immigration Reform obtained the report and highlighted the discrepancies.
Democrats on the subcommittee defended Jaddou, attributing the issues to a flawed system that lacked adequate staffing. They commended Jaddou for improving the agency’s operations.
Ranking member Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) accused Trump of implementing policies during his first term that hindered legal pathways for immigrants. Jayapal praised Jaddou for modernizing USCIS and enhancing its efficiency.
Jayapal stated that over the last two years, USCIS has naturalized nearly 1.9 million individuals and admitted the highest number of refugees in three decades while managing increased workload and strain on its humanitarian efforts.
Jayapal mentioned a Congressional Budget Office projection that foreign nationals would contribute $7 trillion to the economy over the next decade.
Jaddou highlighted the department’s efforts to streamline processes, hire necessary staff, and reduce application backlogs for the first time in ten years.
Democrats argue that mass illegal immigration benefits the economy by filling job positions that Americans avoid and addressing population decline due to low birth rates.
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