In a move that just screams vote for Kamala Harris, DHS (Department of Homeland Security) decided to pull the plug on a parole program managed by none other than Vice President Kamala Harris and DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Dubbed the “CHNV parole program,” this initiative was busy flying Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans into the U.S. at breakneck speed. And, surprise, surprise, this grand announcement conveniently lands just as Harris is gearing up for her presidential run. Perfect timing, right? Just when she needs to show some tough-on-immigration credentials. What a coincidence!
Late last week, DHS declared the temporary halt of flights, citing the need for an internal review. “Out of an abundance of caution, DHS has temporarily paused issuing advanced travel authorizations for new beneficiaries,” stated DHS spokeswoman Erin Heeter. She went on to add that the pause is to review supporter applications. According to Heeter, DHS will restart application processing “as quickly as possible” with appropriate safeguards (translation: probably right after the election, when it’s politically convenient).
The CHNV parole program, cooked up by Mayorkas, aimed to bring in hundreds of thousands of individuals—all on the taxpayers’ dime. The program has been a point of contention, with the U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security citing it as grounds for Mayorkas’s impeachment.
Additionally, a coalition of 21 attorneys general, spearheaded by Texas, sued to stop the program, arguing it’s just an “illegal visa system” in disguise. Federal judges and members of Congress have also jumped on the bandwagon, calling the program illegal.
An internal review by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services uncovered tens of thousands of potentially fraudulent applications within the CHNV program. Reports indicate that foreign nationals used fake Social Security Numbers and phone numbers and listed the same physical address on nearly 20,000 applications.
Despite Mayorkas and other Biden administration officials’ claims that those released into the country were thoroughly vetted, multiple DHS Inspector General reports suggest otherwise. One report found no vetting was conducted at a major international airport before releasing individuals into the U.S.
The administration has touted a reduction in illegal border crossings by excluding those released through the parole program from the count. Instead of being recorded as illegal border crossers between ports of entry, nearly half a million individuals were flown into the country through the CHNV program, contrary to federal law. Recent U.S. Customs and Border Protection data show that 104,130 Cubans, 194,027 Haitians, 86,101 Nicaraguans, and 110,541 Venezuelans were brought in through the program.
However, the numbers are even more jaw-dropping. The House Committee on Homeland Security discovered that by mid-October 2023, 1.6 million inadmissible aliens were waiting for travel authorizations through the CHNV program. The investigation also revealed that DHS used 50 airports worldwide to facilitate these flights.
The legal status of these individuals remains questionable. DHS documents obtained by the committee state, “All individuals paroled into the United States are, by definition, inadmissible, including those paroled under the CHNV Processes.”
Additionally, CHNV parolees have been arrested nationwide for committing violent crimes against Americans. The suspension of CHNV flights, according to U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security Chairman Mark Green, “vindicates every warning we have ever issued about the unlawful CHNV mass-parole program.” He added that the suspension exposes the administration’s false claims regarding the vetting process.
According to Green, “This is exactly what happens when you create an unlawful mass-parole program to “spare your administration the political embarrassment” of overrun borders. Green is calling for the program’s immediate termination.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott criticized the administration, stating, “Biden/Harris want you to think he secured the border. They just bypassed it by flying illegal immigrants OVER the border. They say they are curbing illegal immigration when in reality they are an accomplice to it.”
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton echoed these sentiments, highlighting the program’s fraudulent nature and detrimental impact on the country. “The CHNV program has been a DISASTER for this country in addition to being blatantly ILLEGAL,” he said.
Mayorkas introduced several new parole policies after some countries refused to accept their deported citizens from the U.S. Instead of detaining and removing them, federal agents were directed to release them into the country.
So, with the election just around the corner and Kamala Harris scrambling to buff up her “tough on immigration” credentials, hitting pause on the CHNV program is the perfect political smoke screen. Because obviously, nothing says “border control” like halting a program that was already a flaming taxpayer-funded disaster.
