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Americas United States | Commentary

Let Them Stay Update #8

By Yael Schacher | December 22, 2025

This is a monthly newsletter about humanitarian parole and policy changes impacting people who entered the United States on parole and their supporters. The newsletter includes updates on policy, litigation, and Congressional activity impacting parole, tells stories about people on parole and their communities, and shares resources and explainers. It is part of a campaign to oppose attacks on parole and immigration enforcement efforts against parolees because they imperil people in need of safety and deprive American cities and towns of beloved and valuable community members. 

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Latest on Litigation

Doe v. Noem is a case challenging the mass termination of the Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, Venezuela (CHNV) parole processes and the halting of adjudications of immigration applications for parolees who entered on CHNV and other parole programs including Uniting for Ukraine (U4U) and family reunification parole.

Here’s where we are: 

In late November, the government produced an administrative record regarding its handling of parole programs. Though most of the documents produced were already available publicly, a few shed light on the workings of the CHNV program when it was in place, including a CBP report on secondary inspection of arrivals through Florida airports. The report notes that a DHS audit of the CHNV program found fraud among supporters not beneficiaries. Pages from this spring 2024 audit are included in the administrative record (pages 328-339). The record also includes guides that USCIS used to review applications for the CHNV program so that the agency was able to identify and deny fraudulent applications (363-401). The administrative record also includes statistics showing that CHNV parole program beneficiaries had almost 400,000 applications pending (for green cards, asylum, work authorization, and TPS, among others) in March 2025. In a November 19 declaration, the government asserted that, between late May and early November 2025, it had adjudicated about 117,000 of these applications. 

On December 2, USCIS issued a new policy affecting how it will process some immigration benefits applications (see discussion about this below). The litigators in Doe v. Noem are reviewing the new policy to understand how it will affect the applications of case class members.

CHIRLA v. Noem is a case challenging the administration’s placement of people who entered through parole into expedited removal, a fast-track deportation process. 

Here’s where we are: 

Parties are submitting briefs to the court of appeals in the DC Circuit as to whether the government can pursue expedited removal of parolees through regulatory authority. 

Sileiri Doe et. al. v. DHS et. al. is a new class action lawsuit filed on August 11 challenging mass termination of parole and revocation of work authorization of people who waited for CBP One appointments and entered through land border ports of entry. 

Here’s where we are: 

The parties are waiting for the court to schedule a hearing on the case. 

Latest on Enforcement Policies 

In late November and early December 2025, USCIS announced a halt in adjudication of all immigrant benefit applications by people from travel banned countries (including Afghanistan, Haiti, Cuba and Venezuela) and a comprehensive re-review of already approved benefit requests of nationals from travel banned countries. It also announced a halt in adjudication of all asylum applications, but not USCIS screening for credible or reasonable fear during expedited removal or for third country removal (including under asylum cooperative agreements). 

In the wake of the November 26 shooting of two members of the National Guard by an Afghan who arrived through Operations Allied Welcome, Afghans who were paroled have been targeted for arrest and detention when responding to notices to check in with ICE. There are resources here and below for community members affected by these policies. 

On December 10, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) published a report assessing the administration of parole programs during the Biden administration. Like past reports, the GAO found evidence of fraud among supporters – but not beneficiaries – of the programs. The Trump administration refused to agree to the GAO’s recommendations related to improvements in the implementation of future programs (including collecting of biometrics from supporters), asserting its opposition to all parole programs. 

In line with that position, two days after the GAO published its report, the Trump administration announced it was terminating all family reunification parole programs, using as a justification, among other things, the lack of biometrics collection as part of the vetting process. According to the notice, the goal of uniting families does not comport with removal of noncitizens as the “focus” and “core” foreign policy interest of the administration. The notice also announced termination of the parole on January 14, 2026, of anyone who entered through the family reunification parole programs who had not applied for adjustment of status by December 15, 2025, including because their visa number was not yet current. All who remain in the United States after January 14 will lose their ability to adjust to permanent residence and could be subject to removal. 

Justice Action Center is planning a legal challenge of the termination; you can let them know if you are one of the parolees who have been approved for a family based visa, entered through a family reunification parole program, and so will be dramatically affected by this termination.

In line with its ongoing effort to de-legalize people in the United States on humanitarian statuses without regard to their home country conditions and their ties and contributions to the United States, the Trump administration published a notice on November 28 terminating TPS for Haiti as of February 3, 2026. The inadequacy of the justification for termination is highlighted in litigation challenging the termination in federal court in the District of Columbia. 

Latest from Congress

On December 17, the Senate passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), sending the more than $900 billion package to President Trump for signature. While the bill primarily authorizes military spending, Congress included oversight provisions related to deportation operations. The NDAA requires the Secretary of Defense to notify the House and Senate Armed Services Committees each time Department of Defense aircraft are used to support DHS-led removal operations. It also mandates recurring reporting on any non-citizens detained on military bases, including the scope and role of DoD personnel supporting those activities. 

As we enter into the second session of the 119th Congress, our team will be closely monitoring member-led and committee efforts that undermine legal  protections for parolees – and calling for oversight and accountability. We will also be supporting efforts by Congress to provide secure status to people who arrived on parole. 

Resources for Parolees

We’ve updated the English version of our explainer for people who arrived on  humanitarian parole. Translations in multiple languages are underway. Links to these explainers are below.  

Need this resource in another language? Or is there another language you can help translate this resource into? Contact Yael Schacher yschacher@refugeesinternational.org. 

Story Spotlight

The Trump administration’s latest de-legalization policies have targeted Afghan parolees like Fatima, Zahra, Yasmin (pseudonyms) who arrived in the United States just over a year ago through a CBP One appointment. 

Fatima was a police officer in Afghanistan. She escaped the Taliban with her elderly mother and sister. They made their way through the Darien Gap and eventually to Mexico, where for most of 2024 they waited for a CBP One appointment, first in Mexico City, and then, after being bussed southward by Mexican immigration authorities, in Villahermosa. 

Once they received their appointment, they flew to Tijuana, entered the United States at the port of San Ysidro, joined their friends and relatives in Sacramento, and applied for asylum. They received notice of termination of their parole on April 10, 2025, and their immigration court hearing, which had been scheduled for a date in June, disappeared and has been listed as “pending” in the immigration court system ever since. 

This week, Fatima wrote to Refugees International: “We have an appointment with ICE at the end of the month, and we are very worried.” 

In the Media:

Partner Resources:

Have a story, update, or resource you want included in next month’s Let Them Stay Update? Contact Yael Schacher yschacher@refugeesinternational.org. 

Share this newsletter with your network. Want to subscribe? Contact Eliza Leal at eleal@refugeesinternational.org.

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