The Biden administration has temporarily halted immigration visas for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans. This decision impacts anyone who wants to enter the United States and stay for up to two years. The suspension is due to allegations of fraud involving their financial backers.

Details of the Suspension

By June, about 500,000 people from these four countries had come to the United States under presidential authority. They applied online through financial sponsors in the United States and paid for their travel. This policy is a critical component of the Democratic administration's strategy. It tries to develop legitimate entrance points while restricting asylum for individuals who unlawfully breach the border.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced a "temporary pause" on new authorizations. The department is investigating the backgrounds of financial sponsors and noted that no security or public safety concerns have been identified with the beneficiaries themselves.

Concerns are entirely with the sponsors. Beneficiaries are rigorously checked before arriving. DHS vowed to resume application processing as soon as feasible while implementing appropriate safeguards.

The suspension was announced after the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), a group that supports immigration limits, cited an internal DHS report. This report highlighted issues regarding fraud.

According to the FAIR investigation, 3,218 sponsors were linked to more than 100,000 applicants. It also discovered that 24 of the top 1,000 Social Security numbers used by sponsors belonged to deceased people.

Political Reactions and Policy Background

Republican critics replied fast. House Speaker Mike Johnson slammed the initiative, saying it should never have existed. He claimed that it allowed hundreds of thousands of people to enter the United States unchecked.

The program, which was implemented for Venezuelans in October 2022 and then expanded to include Cubans, Haitians, and Nicaraguans in January 2023, focuses on nations with high immigration rates to the United States.

It also concerns countries that frequently refuse to receive deported individuals. The policy is tied to Mexico's promise to absorb people from these nations who enter the US border illegally.

Under this policy, the United States will accept up to 30,000 people from these countries each month for the next two years. They qualify for work authorization. According to US Customs and Border Protection, at than 194,000 Haitians, 110,000 Venezuelans, 104,000 Cubans, and 86,000 Nicaraguans had benefited as of June.

Concerns regarding exploitation by sponsors surfaced early on. Facebook groups like "Sponsors U.S." had numerous posts offering and seeking cash assistance. Arrests for unlawful crossings have decreased dramatically among these ethnicities.

For example, Cuban arrests decreased from more than 42,000 in November 2022 to 5,065 in the first half of this year. Haitian arrests plummeted from nearly 18,000 in September 2021 to 304 in the first half of this year.

FAQS

How long is the suspension of immigration visas expected to continue?

DHS has not determined the length of the suspension. However, the department has committed to starting processing as soon as possible after the review is completed and the required protections are in place.

How does the suspension affect individuals who have already arrived in the United States?

The suspension mostly affects new applications and permits. It does not directly impact individuals who have already arrived in the United States under this program.