More than 1.4 million applications for humanitarian parole are still pending approval

Newly obtained files submitted to the House Republican Homeland Security Committee reveal the broad scope of the humanitarian parole program overseen by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

The document shows that by March 2024, there are 1.4 million applications left to be processed by the US Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS).

Analysis by journalist Daniel Benítez shows that with a maximum of 30.000 humanitarian visa approvals per month and the constant submission of new applications daily, it could potentially take more than two years to resolve all cases. This information was shared on Benítez’s social media platforms.

The humanitarian parole option for people from Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Haiti offers a simple and free path to legal migration to the United States, avoiding the need for an interview at the embassy.

Given the high demand for the program, wait times could be significantly extended. Should a new president take office next November, Donald Trump could choose to eliminate the program, which has faced strong criticism from Republicans. If this were to happen, countless applications would be stuck in limbo within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

More than 50 airports across the United States have been identified in the recently released records due to a court order. These airports have been used for the entry of people participating in this program from January through August 2023.