US halts immigration programs for refugees from crisis regions
"The pause on several initiatives that allowed immigrants to enter the country temporarily will block the entrance of people fleeing some of the most unstable and desperate places in the world," warns The New York Times. The newspaper's website notes that among those being stopped at the border are Ukrainian families.
Officials from the Department of Homeland Security have ordered the suspension of several programs that previously allowed immigrants to temporarily settle in the United States. Among the "suspended" regulations is a key initiative providing the possibility of entry into the U.S. for Ukrainians.
The New York Times obtained an email sent on Thursday by the top official of the Immigration Service. It calls for the immediate cessation of actions regarding applications related to the programs "while the administration reviews them and decides whether to terminate them."
Entire families are waiting at the border
Journalists point out that the list of programs being temporarily suspended is extensive. Consequently, it blocks entry into the U.S. for people fleeing some of the most unstable and dangerous regions worldwide.
In addition to Ukraine, these programs offered support to citizens of Cuba, Haiti, and Venezuela.
- This suspension on parole decisions is similar to the suspension of all asylum access at the border and the suspension of the refugee program, said Yael Schacher, Director for the Americas and Europe at Refugees International, in an interview with the NY Times. - It’s a testament to the administration’s hostility to all humanitarian immigration - she added.
Administration officials said that President Donald Trump believes many programs were illegal.
On Monday, he signed an order demanding that the Department of Homeland Security end "all categorical parole programs that are contrary to the policies of the United States established in my executive orders." These programs, known as "paroles," allow, for example, entire families to temporarily enter the United States under amnesty. This also applied to people who do not have the appropriate documents but whose family members are legally on U.S. soil.
