America's Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced Friday that it will terminate legal protections for approximately 532,000 Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans, exposing them to potential deportation by April 24.

This group, who entered the U.S. since October 2022 under a humanitarian parole program, had been granted two-year permits to live and work legally with financial sponsors. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem stated their status will expire 30 days after the Federal Register notice, aligning with a Trump administration push to dismantle what it deems an overreach of humanitarian parole—a tool historically used to aid those fleeing war or instability.

The decision, affecting those admitted under the CHNV program, fulfills President Donald Trump’s campaign pledge to curb illegal immigration while also scaling back legal entry pathways. Previously, these migrants could remain until their parole ended, but the administration had already halted processing their applications for asylum or other statuses. The move has sparked legal challenges, with a coalition of U.S. citizens and immigrants suing to restore the programs, arguing they provided vital relief.

Under the Biden administration, the CHNV initiative allowed up to 30,000 people monthly from these nations to enter legally, paired with an agreement for Mexico to accept the same number of returnees—since Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua, all U.S. adversaries, rarely accept deportees, and Haiti’s turmoil complicates repatriation.

Since late 2022, over half a million have arrived through this channel, part of a broader strategy to promote legal migration while deterring illegal border crossings. With their status now revoked, these 532,000 face an uncertain future, caught between a policy shift and strained diplomatic ties.