On April 14, Judge Indira Talwani for the District of Massachusetts temporarily blocked the Trump Administration from terminating the CHNV Program for the time being.
WHAT IS THE CHNV PROGRAM?
The CHNV program is a humanitarian parole, initially launched in 2022 by the Biden Administration for Venezuelans. In January 2023, it was expanded to include individuals from Cuba, Haiti, and Nicaragua. The program allows eligible individuals from these select countries to stay in the United States for two years due to humanitarian hardships in their native countries.
According to the American Immigration Council, this program presents a “significant public benefit for the United States, by reducing unauthorized entries along our [southwest border], while also addressing the humanitarian reasons.” Individuals admitted through the program are legally allowed to live and work within the United States.
WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH THE CHNV PROGRAM NOW?
On January 20, the Trump administration released Executive Order 14165 — commonly known as “Securing Our Borders” — officially ending the CHNV program as part of a broader shift in immigration policy. With this order, the legal status and work authorization permits granted to the beneficiaries of the CHNV program were suddenly put in jeopardy. It’s ironic how a president well known for opposing illegal immigration is so quick to revoke legal pathways to entry within the U.S. the instant they’re used.
Cuba Headlines stated that, “From April 24, 2025, all active paroles will be considered terminated unless a valid legal process like asylum or status adjustment has been initiated”. Anyone who didn’t initiate these processes would be forced to leave the U.S. before this time or risk deportation.
However, U.S. District Judge Talwani wasn’t about to let that happen.
Before the official set date of the program’s termination, Judge Talwani ruled that the beneficiaries of the CHNV program must be allowed to remain and work in the U.S. while stopping the Department of Homeland Security from denying them their legal status as part of Trump’s executive order. In a 41-page opinion highlighted by the The New York Post, Talwani wrote:, “The early termination, without any case-by-case justification, of legal status for noncitizens who have complied with DHS programs and entered the country lawfully undermines the rule of law.” Talwani advocates that the people under the humanitarian program be given a rightful case-by-case review, and anything less defies proper immigration proceedings.
Talwani’s order serves as a win for the people. Karen Tumlin of the Justice Action Center, an immigrant support organization, described Talwani’s ruling as “a significant step toward justice for not only the hundreds of thousands of people who entered the U.S. through this important process, but for the American sponsors who welcomed them to their homes and communities. With this decision, so many people throughout the country will be able to breathe a huge sigh of relief.”
Thanks to Judge Talwani’s decisive action, families were able to remain together and communities stayed intact. As the Trump administration continues to execute its initiatives that endanger the safety of innocent people, just know that there are people on the inside combating his actions with grit and fearlessness.