The International Institute of New England condemns the Trump administration’s plan to end the CHNV humanitarian parole program that has provided safety and stability for over half a million people from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. The decision is politically motivated and inhumane. Families finding safety through CHNV are hardworking, tax-paying, law-abiding people who followed the rules of the U.S. government to legally enter the country and will face life-threatening conditions upon their forced return.
Since 1952, humanitarian parole has provided a legal pathway for those fleeing political instability, violence, and climate disasters. Continuing attacks on programs that admit people to the U.S. lawfully will destabilize and harm entire communities and disrupt our economy. An end to humanitarian parole means putting endangered and legally admitted families at risk through separation and deportation. Moreover, transporting this population back to unsafe and unstable countries endangers the lives of U.S. personnel and is an inappropriate use of U.S. taxpayers’ money.
Over the past two years, IINE has provided services to immigrants with humanitarian parole who are now living in dozens of communities across the region. Many have become critical players in the economies of Massachusetts and New Hampshire, working in a variety of industries including much-needed roles in hospitality and healthcare, all while they are learning English, parenting children who are in school and playing on local sports teams, and taking steps to permanently settle in the U.S.
Our staff is working diligently to ensure our clients with humanitarian parole status receive up-to-date information, support filing for alternative immigration statuses, and training on their rights. IINE will continue to fight for the protection of these families and to ensure we can still call the United States a nation of welcome and opportunity.
