Cubans on Edge as Safe Exit to USA in Danger

with the suspension of the parole program

By Francisco Acevedo

HAVANA TIMES – The temporary suspension of the humanitarian parole program was the talk of the week among Cubans, both on the island and in any country where families are in the process or intending to apply.

Since July 6, it was temporarily suspended for Venezuela, but for the other three countries benefiting from this program (Cuba, Haiti, and Nicaragua), which has been in effect since January 2023, it was suspended on July 18th.

To apply for the permit, migrants need to have a sponsor in the United States who already has legal status and can demonstrate sufficient income to financially support the program’s beneficiary.

This is the safest way to leave the island given the desperate economic and social situation it is experiencing. The other alternative was to venture on a journey from Nicaragua, or even further, to reach Mexico and cross the border, exposed to criminal gangs throughout the journey or the possibility of imprisonment, not to mention the natural dangers of traversing a jungle.

According to the Office of Fraud Detection and National Security, several sponsors used false information, such as non-existent addresses, deceased persons’ account numbers, etc., to try to bring friends or relatives to the US. These cases certainly did not progress, meaning the beneficiary was rejected, but due to the sustained occurrence of these attempts to break the law, a halt was decided.

According to specialists on the matter, interested parties can continue applying, but the authorizations to travel are halted by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Over more than a year and a half, more than half a million people from these four nationalities have traveled to the United States, but some might be at risk of losing that benefit if it is proven they entered through fraud, as during this pause, the sponsor’s applications, which have had inconsistencies, will be reviewed.

The DHS explained that the same social security numbers, addresses, and phone numbers were used on multiple forms. Specifically, it was discovered that 100,948 I-134A forms were filled out by only 3,218 people.

Furthermore, 24 social security numbers belonged to deceased individuals, just over 100 physical addresses were included in more than 19,000 forms, and the same phone number appeared on more than 2,000 applications, besides 2,839 forms with non-existent postal codes.

The DHS warned that individuals involved would be taken to immigration court, where they will face legal proceedings that could result in the revocation of their visas and travel authorizations, a situation that worries even those who supposedly did everything legally, as always happens when someone breaks the rules and affects others.

Similarly, the DHS will refer cases it deems appropriate to the Department of Justice, implying that those responsible could face criminal charges, including fines, penalties, and possibly imprisonment.

In a statement made public this Friday, the Department of Homeland Security said it had not identified any public safety issues concerning the people from the four countries benefiting from the parole, only with their sponsors.

Of course, when a violation is proven, those who obtained their travel authorizations through fraud will have their visas revoked, which means not only the loss of the right to remain in the United States but also that they will be subject to deportation proceedings.

Moreover, individuals deported for fraud may face a re-entry ban to the United States, which can be temporary or permanent, depending on the severity of the fraud and applicable laws.

Evidently, beneficiaries of the parole who committed fraud will see their future visa or immigration applications to the United States affected, as the record will be noted and considered in any future immigration process, significantly complicating their chances of obtaining entry or residence permits.

In the case of sponsors, they could be investigated, prosecuted, and face criminal charges, besides losing the ability to sponsor other migrants in the future.

The suspension of the program, which facilitates the legal arrival in the United States of about a total of 360,000 citizens from these four countries per year and guarantees work permits and a two-year authorization to live legally in the US., leaves many families waiting for their travel permits in limbo.

The random manner in which applications were approved, where a person who applied a month ago could leave the country while others wait for more than a year, also suggested the existence of fraud and corruption in the method.

Personally, we know several cases of people who saw other applicants who started the process later move ahead, even though they were direct descendants of their sponsors and had all the paperwork in order.

These delays were heavily criticized, and many people were also denounced on social media (Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok) for sponsorship offers that turned out to be false.

Within the United States, there were also problems with the parole program because 21 Republican states sued the federal government because, according to them, it forced them to invest millions in healthcare, education, and public safety for immigrants.

Despite this initial rejection, the initiative prospered throughout this time, but now it is uncertain when it will resume, if it ever does, because the final decision will depend on the severity of what emerges.

Meanwhile, in Cuba, hundreds of families bite their nails amid the usual blackouts and widespread shortages.

Read more from Cuba here on Havana Times.