In January 2023, the Biden Administration established a humanitarian parole program for certain individuals from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela (CHNV), allowing eligible individuals to apply for entry into the United States for a temporary stay of up to two years. Many participants also received authorization to work during their stay.
On March 25, 2025, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the termination of the CHNV parole programs. According to the announcement, CHNV parolees whose period of admission extended beyond April 24, 2025, would have their parole terminated on that date—unless the Secretary of Homeland Security made an individualized determination to the contrary.
In April, the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts issued a Preliminary Injunction Order that blocked DHS from sending out termination notices and invalidated any notices already issued.
However, on May 30, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the lower court’s ruling and lifted the preliminary injunction. The DHS has since resumed terminating parole granted under the CHNV parole program and is issuing notices that also invalidate work authorization tied to the program. These termination notices, sent via everyone’s USCIS.gov account, state that work authorization is immediately void as of the notice date. Recipients are instructed to return their employment authorization document to the government and depart the U.S. unless they have another lawful basis to remain in the country. This abrupt shift has left many employers facing the sudden loss of work authorization for employees—some of whom still possess valid employment authorization documents with months left before expiration. Given these developments, employers whose workforce is being impacted by these decisions and court rulings should carefully evaluate their workforce and consider the following:
- Are all foreign national employees from CHNV countries working pursuant to this program?
- Are work authorization documents issued under the CHNV program still valid if an employee has not yet received a termination notice?
- Are there alternative immigration pathways or work authorization options available to the person, so he or she can continue working?
Given the complexity and evolving nature of these issues, employers should consult immigration legal counsel to assess options, determine appropriate next steps for affected employees and evaluate the best course for their organizations.
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