According to an internal U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) memo that was leaked this week, the Trump administration has enacted an indefinite pause on all immigration applications for migrants from Latin America and Ukraine who entered the U.S. under certain Biden-era parole programs. This includes individuals who arrived through programs such as Uniting for Ukraine, the CHNV program, which allowed citizens from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela to enter the U.S. temporarily, and a parole process that permitted some Colombians, Ecuadorians, Central Americans, Haitians and Cubans with American relatives to come to the U.S. to wait for a family-based green card to become available. The Trump administration stated that the pause is intended to address concerns about potential fraud and national security risks, claiming that some individuals were not fully vetted upon entry.

This suspension affects individuals who entered the United States under these parole programs and are now seeking other immigration benefits, such as Temporary Protected Status, asylum, or green cards. It is unclear how long this pause will be in effect—the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has confirmed it will remain in place until a comprehensive review is completed. The exact number of affected individuals and which type of applications will be affected is still uncertain at this point.