Blog/News/Immigration/Pathway

Legal Pathways with Private Sponsorship Have Been Successful in Reducing Unauthorized Migration to the Border and Protecting Displaced People

The CHNV parole policy helps immigrants seek safety in the U.S with the support of American sponsors. This successful program has not only decreased unauthorized migration to the border, but it has allowed new arrivals to successfully integrate into communities across the country, fill labor shortages, and reunite with family.

Allowing Americans to Sponsor New Arrivals Protects Vulnerable Populations, Increases Border Security, and Improves Integration

When Russia attacked Ukraine in early 2022, the U.S. federal government quickly mobilized to start the Uniting for Ukraine program. This policy allowed private citizens to sponsor nearly 200,000 individuals fleeing Russia’s war in Ukraine to come to the United States and be admitted through the use of humanitarian parole. This program demonstrated that, when given a chance, Americans will swiftly raise their hands to sponsor individuals and families in other parts of the world and help these new arrivals transition to safety in the U.S. The CHNV Parole Pathways replicated the successful model of Uniting for Ukraine and have been equally popular with American sponsors: more than 1.7 million U.S. residents have signed up for the opportunity to welcome family, friends, and individuals in need of safety through CHNV Parole Pathways.

A FWD.us survey of CHNV nationals revealed that people who are paroled into the U.S. with sponsors are able to access an existing support network and become self-sufficient, thereby reducing the need to rely on public resources and lowering costs incurred by welcoming cities and states.

The CHNV Parole Program Has Significantly Reduced Unauthorized Border Encounters for Eligible Countries

The Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela (CHNV) parole pathways have been an unprecedented success in reducing unauthorized migration to the United States-Mexico border, while still enabling nearly 500,000 people to safely enter the U.S. with sponsors, housing, and a support system. These pathways have significantly reduced pressure on the asylum system by providing migrants a safe alternative to smuggling networks, which have been the primary immigration route for people in the Western Hemisphere for the past decade due to the lack of legal immigration options.

They are also a better economic option for many asylum seekers, allowing parole recipients to qualify for immediate work authorization once they arrive, allowing them to fill critical labor shortages.  Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reported an 89% decrease in unlawful encounters from Cuba, Haiti, and Nicaragua as a result of these parole pathways, from a weekly average of 3,453 at the beginning of 2023 down to a weekly average of 394 by the end of June 2023.

Here are the most significant reported changes in Southwest Border total encounters by fiscal year and nationality:

  • Cuba: Encounters peaked at 42,654 monthly encounters in December 2022 (FY2023), and a year later, after the implementation of the pathways, monthly encounters had fallen by 88% to roughly 5,000 monthly border encounters.
  • Nicaragua: Encounters peaked at 35,355 in December 2022 (FY2023) and fell by 77% a year later to 8,177 monthly Southwest border encounters through December 2023.
  • Haiti: The impact of the CHNV parole pathways was complemented by the public launch of CBP One, which has a high usage rate amongst Haitian nationals. The vast majority of Haitians along the Southwest border have entered via CBP One, and therefore, the number of unauthorized crossings has historically trended substantially lower for FY2023 than for other nationalities. Sponsors for Haitians applied at the highest volume of any qualifying nationality, with over 63,000 vetted and approved in the first six months of the CHNV Parole Program.
  • Venezuela: The data show that the onset of parole pathways for Venezuela led to a 90% decrease in unauthorized border crossings in January 2023. However, due to the unprecedented displacement of over 7.3 million Venezuelans in recent years, the impact of the CHNV parole policy was limited by eligibility requirements that prevented many from qualifying. The demand for this process has outpaced the ability to approve parole for Venezuelans.

A recent court ruling in Texas on the CHNV Parole Program reaffirmed the impact of these pathways on border crossings. The court determined that Texas did not have standing to bring its claims of harm against the program, and Texas admitted to the court that the parole pathways resulted in a decrease in border apprehensions of these nationalities. When given a legal pathway to come to the United States, people will use those pathways rather than access a smuggling network.

Why the U.S. Government Should Expand Legal Pathways with Private Sponsorship

The plight of millions of people forced to flee their homes due to conflict, violence, persecution, and severe climate-related events is one of the biggest challenges of our time. Amidst this global migration crisis, sponsorship presents the United States government with a more organized and seamless transition for sponsored individuals to join the workforce, stabilize themselves and their families who have joined them, and even contribute towards the stabilization of their loved ones in their home countries. Networks of families and friends support parole policy participants as they adjust to life in the United States. Through sponsorship, nearly all paroled individuals are financially independent, with only a small share (21%) of those entering the U.S. through the CHNV parole process receiving assistance from family members.

Recommendations to Improve and Expand Legal Pathways:

When a legal pathway is too difficult to access, people are more likely to make an unauthorized entry at the southern border. The fluctuations of apprehensions between ports in the latter part of FY2023 and early FY2024 indicate that there is greater demand for legal pathways than current slots available, increasing the number of people presenting between POEs.

  • Expand the eligible number of monthly parolees and adjust numbers by nationality to account for changing dynamics in the hemisphere: If DHS were to increase the number of people it can grant access to this program, it could help alleviate the existing backlog of sponsors awaiting approval. Having a flexible cap would also allow the U.S. government to respond to acute crises. One clear example of this is the ongoing instability in Haiti—more slots could be designated on a monthly basis after undergoing a determination process informed by the State Department and DHS.
  • Expand the use of parole to additional countries: Building on the proven data exemplified with Ukraine and CHNV countries, expanding parole pathways to more countries like Ecuador, and scaling Family Reunification pathways for El Salvador, would directly correlate with a decrease in those nationalities’ apprehension at the US-Mexico border, enabling more effective border management for CBP and Border Patrol agents. This could prevent instances like those seen in Arizona, where as recently as December 2023, certain border checkpoints temporarily closed in order to redirect staff to support the processing of the large volume of apprehensions.
Tell the world; share this article via...
Act Now

Get Involved

We need your help to move America forward. Learn what you can do.