In a recent press release, House Committee on Homeland Security Chairman Mark E. Green criticized the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for resuming its CHNV mass-parole program. The program, which allows parole for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans, had been paused due to significant fraud in the sponsorship process. Chairman Green’s statement highlights his concerns over the Biden administration’s decision to restart the program without adequately addressing these issues.
Chairman Green described the resumption of the program as “unlawful” and “fraud-ridden,” emphasizing the lack of sufficient safeguards against exploitation by sponsors. He argued that the program, alongside the use of the CBP One app at the Southwest border, has created a loophole that enables otherwise inadmissible aliens to enter the United States through official ports of entry. This approach, according to Green, undermines the integrity of the immigration system and sidesteps legal requirements for entry.
The CHNV program has been under scrutiny since its inception. According to reports, including one by Adam Shaw of Fox News, the DHS paused issuing travel authorizations after discovering widespread fraud among applicants. Shaw noted that the DHS found multiple instances where the same social security numbers, addresses, and phone numbers were used repeatedly on sponsorship forms. For example, the investigation revealed that 100,948 forms were filled out by 3,218 “serial sponsors,” with some addresses appearing on hundreds of forms. Furthermore, some of the most frequently used numbers belonged to deceased individuals.
The legal basis for the CHNV program has also been questioned. The Immigration and Nationality Act permits parole only on a case-by-case basis for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit. However, since the program’s official announcement in January 2023, nearly 520,000 inadmissible aliens have arrived at U.S. ports of entry through this initiative. Critics argue that this volume of entrants contradicts the statutory requirement for parole to be granted selectively.
Documents obtained by the House Committee on Homeland Security indicate that DHS has processed and released inadmissible aliens at over 50 airport locations across the country. This expansive operation has led to significant criticism from lawmakers who believe the program exceeds the intended scope of parole under U.S. immigration law.
Further complicating the situation, a recent report by the Center for Immigration Studies revealed that the CHNV program has been used not only by individuals from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela but also by people from over 70 other countries, including Australia, Great Britain, and Sweden. This revelation raises questions about the legitimacy of many applicants’ claims for parole.
Chairman Green’s statement shows his frustration with the DHS’s handling of the CHNV program and its broader implications for U.S. immigration policy. He argues that by failing to address the documented fraud and exploitation, the administration effectively ignores the rule of law and compromises national security. Green’s criticism reflects a broader debate over the balance between humanitarian considerations and the enforcement of immigration laws.
Read the full Press Release here: Chairman Green Blasts DHS Decision to Resume Unlawful, Fraud-Ridden CHNV Mass-Parole Program