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Commentary

Let Them Stay Update #9

By Yael Schacher | January 29, 2026

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 parole programs 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: 

On January 24, 2026, Judge Talwani stopped the revocation of parole for people who entered through family reunification programs to wait for their green cards. The judge wrote that the administration’s termination of parole for these individuals was likely arbitrary – and unfair to relatives of U.S. citizens and green card holders who followed the directives of the government and arrived in the United States expecting to stay permanently. 

Judge Talwani said that the administration in its December 15, 2025, federal register notice announcing termination of parole for this group, “did not consider what parolees gave up in their home countries after being invited by the United States to apply…Nor did the Notice consider how feasible it would be for parolees to return to their home countries after selling their homes and belongings and giving up their jobs to move to the United States.” 

Further, she said  DHS’s claims  regarding insufficient vetting and fraud  were unsupported by facts and added that the government did not provide parolees sufficient (or even any) notice of revocation of their status and work permits. 

New USCIS policies announced on December 2 also affect class members of Doe v. Noem: they halt the adjudication of all applications of people from Afghanistan, Venezuela, Haiti, and Cuba – which are among the travel banned countries. The judge has not yet responded to the plaintiff’s request that she address the effect of the policies on class members of the suit. 

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:

On January 20, 2026, the plaintiffs filed a brief to the Court of Appeals arguing that the government has no authority, including under its regulations, to place people paroled at ports of entry into expedited removal since the immigration law does not give them that authority. An amicus brief filed by legal scholars supports this argument by showing that Congress never intended for humanitarian parolees to be subject to expedited removal. 

Latest on Enforcement Policies 

Like previous enforcement operations in Chicago and DC, “Operation Metro Surge“ in Minneapolis led to the arrest of people who arrived at ports of entry and were granted parole, including young 5-year-old Liam Ramos and his father as they returned home from pre-school pickup. The ACLU is challenging discriminatory and warrantless arrests in court, and many organizations are calling for Congress to stop federal agents from arbitrarily and violently arresting anyone they want to. 

Since the termination of the CHNV parole program, many Haitian breadwinners have lost their work permits or been arrested, leaving families struggling to make ends meet. Anxiety has increased among Haitians about increased enforcement that will come after the impending TPS termination date on February 3. This termination continues to be challenged in court, especially given the Trump administration’s inadequate review of the dire conditions on the ground in Haiti. Members of Congress are pushing for a discharge petition that could compel the House to vote on a bill to require the Trump administration to extend TPS for Haiti for three years. They are stressing the important role Haitians play in the senior care sector. 

Since the U.S. invasion, reports from Venezuela indicate the humanitarian situation and political repression there is worsening. Despite this, the Trump administration has resumed and increased deportation flights from the United States to Caracas. Venezuelan diaspora organizations and members of Congress are calling for a renewed TPS or DED designation for Venezuela. 

Latest from Congress

Senate Hearing on the Afghan Parole Program

On January 14, 2026, the Senate Judiciary Subcommittees on Border Security and Immigration and on Crime and Counterterrorism convened a joint hearing examining the Biden administration’s Afghan parole program and its implementation following the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. The hearing featured testimony from oversight officials from the Department of Homeland Security, Department of State, and Department of Defense, as well as veterans, researchers, and advocates. 

Republican Senators argued that the parole program, particularly Operation Allies Welcome, admitted large numbers of Afghan nationals with insufficient vetting, including individuals they claim now pose security risks to communities across the country. Democratic Senators emphasized that Afghan evacuees underwent rigorous and multi-layered screening and are now contributing members of their communities. They warned against exploiting the tragic shooting of National Guardsmen in Washington, DC to stigmatize an entire population, and instead argued that policy gaps lie in post-arrival support, access to mental health services, and the absence of durable legal pathways for Afghan allies. 

Refugees International partnered with the Afghan American Foundation to submit a statement for the record to provide context for the humanitarian conditions inside Afghanistan, the acute risks faced by women and girls, and stories to illustrate the risks Afghan parolees would face if deported back to Afghanistan. 

Status of DHS Appropriations Bill 

Last week, the House passed the remaining FY 2026 appropriations bills, including the Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill (H.R. 7147), sending the consolidated package to the Senate for consideration ahead of the January 30 funding deadline. The Senate is scheduled to begin voting on the appropriations package on Thursday, January 29. 

The bill provides roughly $64.4 billion in discretionary funding for DHS, including approximately $10 billion for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and $18 billion for Customs and Border Protection (CBP). This funding is in addition to the more than $140 billion in resources ICE and CBP received combined through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The DHS appropriations measure also includes $20 million for the procurement of body-worn cameras for agents and officers engaged in enforcement activities – but does not establish a universal mandate for consistent camera use or deescalation training, nor more regularized reporting requirements. 

In light of the egregious and tragic ways DHS agents have terrorized and attacked immigrants and their supporters over the past year, Refugees International and many other organizations are calling for Congress to use the appropriations process to rein in ICE and CBP enforcement operations, hold the agencies accountable, and ensure effective oversight.  

Resources for Parolees

We’ve updated the English version of our explainer for people who arrived on  humanitarian parole. Updates to 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

This month, we’re spotlighting the Illinois Venezuelan Alliance (IVA) and celebrating the vibrant cultural contributions of Venezuelans in Chicago.

The cuatro is a small four-stringed Venezuelan folk instrument similar to a classical guitar. As part of its Academy of Cuatro Aquiles Báez, IVA recently launched a Venezuelan cuatro class at Carl Von Linne Elementary – a Chicago public school with a Venezuelan-American principal and many newly arrived Venezuelan students. 

Renowned cuatrista and Grammy Award winner Jairo Tolosa teaches the classes at an after-school program. Beyond music instruction, the classes help create a welcoming space for children and newly arrived families through shared tradition and creativity. 

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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