Migrants From Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela Told To Self-Deport

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has ordered half a million migrants to self-deport.

Why It Matters

DHS began issuing termination notices to individuals previously paroled into the United States under the Biden administration's divisive programs for nationals of Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela—commonly referred to as the CHNV parole program.

The program allowed nationals from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela, along with their immediate family members, temporary entry on humanitarian grounds.

The move will affect more than 500,000 migrants across the nation. It will essentially mean migrants with a right to live and work in the U.S. will lose their legal status and be subjected to removal by federal authorities.

What To Know

The Department of Homeland Security is emailing notifications to individuals who entered the U.S. under the CHNV parole program, established in 2022.

"This notice informs you that your parole is now terminated," the notice reads, according to CNN. "If you do not leave, you may be subject to enforcement actions, including but not limited to detention and removal, without an opportunity to make personal arrangements and return to your country in an orderly manner."

Thursday's action marks the latest effort by the Trump administration to reduce the number of migrants in the United States, targeting individuals regardless of their legal status.

The termination follows a May 30, 2025, decision by the U.S. Supreme Court that upheld the program's cancellation by the Trump administration. Since its inception, the CHNV program allowed over 500,000 individuals to enter the United States.

Critics argued the initiative lacked adequate vetting and placed pressure on domestic resources, while supporters defended it as a necessary humanitarian measure amid instability in the four participating countries.

The change represents a major development in U.S. immigration policy and will affect hundreds of thousands of families currently residing in the country under the now-canceled program.

In 2023, the Biden administration introduced a parole program for eligible migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela who agreed to undergo review by U.S. authorities instead of crossing the border unlawfully. To qualify, applicants needed a U.S.-based sponsor with legal status and had to pass security vetting.

What People Are Saying

Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement shared with Newsweek: "Ending the CHNV parole programs, as well as the paroles of those who exploited it, will be a necessary return to commonsense policies, a return to public safety, and a return to America First."

Naomi Steinberg, Vice President of U.S. Policy and Advocacy at HIAS, the oldest refugee resettlement agency in the world, told Newsweek: "The people who entered under humanitarian parole programs did so legally, contrary to the giant falsehoods that DHS is now promoting about them. It is also worth noting that the CHNV program was designed to help reduce the number of people approaching the U.S./Mexico border, a goal that this administration supports. Yet again, DHS describes one of their policies as 'common-sense' when it is the exact opposite of that."

What Happens Next

The Trump administration is encouraging voluntary departure through the CBP One mobile app, which offers travel coordination and a $1,000 incentive for those who choose to self-deport.

Update 06/13/25 12:00 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with comment from Naomi Steinberg.