Florida Republican urges Trump to spare some migrants under deportation plan

Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.) is urging President Trump’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to spare some migrants from Latin America and the Caribbean from being deported under the new administration’s immigration guidelines.

The South Florida Congresswoman asked the acting DHS Secretary Benjamine Huffman to continue “protecting” Venezuelans, Haitians, Cubans and Nicaraguans who do not have criminal records and were permitted to enter and work in the U.S. under former President Biden’s “humanitarian parole” program.

“I strongly urge you to ensure that all Cubans paroled in under the CHNV program eligible for or with pending applications for the Cuban Adjustment Act are protected from deportation until their cases are fully resolved,” Salazar wrote in a Friday letter to Huffman.

“Additionally, Venezuelans, Nicaraguans, and Haitians who arrived under the CHNV program, have no criminal record, and have applied for asylum through the proper legal channels, should also be protected until their cases are fully resolved,” she added.

The current administration is providing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials with more latitude to expel migrants who came to the U.S. either via asylum using the CBP One or the parole program instated by Biden for those fleeing violence in Venezuela, Cuba, Haiti and Nicaragua, according to an internal DHS memo that was obtained by The New York Times.

“Although President Biden originally created this new program on dubious legal grounds and brought individuals here without a plan for their future, they were still enrolled under programs offered to them,” Salazar wrote. “Therefore, I believe they should have the ability to see their applications out to rectify their legal status.”

Salazar, a daughter of Cuban exiles, represents Florida's 27th Congressional District which is home to a number of Venezuelans and Cubans.

The CHNV program (Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, Venezuela) was announced in January 2023, allowing those who came in to stay legally for up to two years. Around 532,000 Haitians, Nicaraguans, Venezuelans and Cubans were given parole through the end of December 2024, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection data.

On Monday, the day he took office, Trump revoked the humanitarian parole program, which benefited nationals from all four countries.

The president has said on the campaign trail that one of his priorities would be cracking down on illegal immigration and deporting a large number of illegal immigrants. So far, ICE has reported making 593 arrests, according to a Friday update.

The Hill has reached out to DHS for comment on the letter.

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