Experts weigh in on the impact on Cubans of Donald Trump's plan for those who entered the US with the Humanitarian Parole program and CBP One

Former President and current Republican presidential candidate of the United States, Donald Trump, spoke out regarding the deportation of those people who entered the United States under the humanitarian parole program and the CBP One application, which offers foreigners the possibility of requesting political asylum in that country. In a meeting with Cuba in Miami, lawyer Claudia Canizares addressed the issue in question and presented her considerations on the matter.

It should be noted that those who have arrived in this country under the aforementioned program have the right to reside there for two years. However, the lawyer clarified that after this period, the beneficiaries have several alternatives that could guarantee their legal permanence in the country, such as applying for asylum, for residence based on family ties, as well as arranging a marriage with a US citizen.

Following Trump's statements, one of the main concerns that has arisen is whether Cubans who arrived in the United States through the humanitarian parole program face the risk of being repatriated. According to Canizares, the Cubans are in an advantageous position, since after living in this country for a year and a day they can begin the process to obtain permanent residency (Green Card) under the Cuban Adjustment Act. In the current context, there are a large number of Cubans who are immersed in this process, which is why they are protected from being returned to the island if Trump actually manages to carry out the "largest deportation in history," as he has announced in the framework of his presidential campaign.

However, Claudia clarified that the situation of Nicaraguans and Haitians is less favorable, since they do not enjoy the same privileges as Cubans, nor are they included in the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program like Venezuelans. Therefore, if after two years of stay in the United States they have not yet resorted to a legal means that allows them to stay, they will have to leave this country. According to Allen, the most feasible option for them is to request asylum, since as long as this process is in progress they cannot be deported.

Regarding the possibility of this high-scale deportation promised by Trump being carried out and taking into account that more than 600,000 people have arrived in the United States through the aforementioned program since its implementation in January of last year until now, Canizares said that he has doubts about the capacity of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to carry out so many deportation operations. In this regard, he said: "There are not enough DHS agents to carry out mass deportations." Following this same line of thought, in a recent interview, Senator Marco Rubio commented: "It is almost impossible to deport 300.000 people, and not only because of the limitations on flights to Cuba, but because of the impact that this would have on the US economy."

The Cuban-American official also stressed that the logistical limitations and requirements established by the Cuban government prevent the development of a large-scale deportation.

Regarding those individuals who entered the United States using the CBP One application, the lawyer pointed out that they should not be alarmed and argued that they could not be deported as long as they had a court date granted as a result of their asylum applications. He also revealed that, although it is possible that the work permit obtained could be revoked, since they are involved in asylum processes, they have the option of renewing it through this means.

In his opinion, if these people are waiting to resolve their status through this type of procedure and as long as they do not commit serious crimes, there is no risk of deportation, so he addressed those who have already begun their residency or asylum processes and sent them the following message: "Live your lives." However, Trump's words have caused fear and uncertainty among those favored by either of the two mechanisms mentioned, but so far Allen hopes that American institutions continue to act within the established legal order.