The Biden Administration will evaluate how temporary protection works for thousands of immigrants who have a sponsor in the US and request it through the “CBP One” application; currently the program is for people from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela
The Government of President Joe Biden could expand its immigration plan that seeks to prevent the irregular travel of thousands of people seeking asylum in the United States, which already applies to people from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela.
“We took our first step in October; we took our second step in January, there’s no reason to believe there won’t be a third step at some point. We are open to that,” National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan revealed.
The official refers to the October decision to accept up to 24,000 immigrants from Venezuela who request temporary protection through the “CBP One” application.
There are two key conditions: the person must have a sponsor in the United States, in addition to passing the questions and security review.
If the immigrant is accepted, he will receive an appointment to appear before immigration authorities. The protection is temporary from deportation.
“This has been an iterative process. Obviously, we started with a focus on how we could support a parole program for Venezuelans a few months ago, in 2022,” Sullivan recalled.
“Now we have expanded it to Cubans, Nicaraguans and Haitians. We have set numerical targets. We are in the early days of implementing that…and then we will make decisions about where to take the next step,” he said.
The program has sparked conflicting opinions from immigrant advocates, considering that it is not a solution to the problem of asylum requests, in addition to the fact that those people who arrive at border ports without an appointment will not be accepted into the program.
While people who enter the US irregularly will be expeditedly removed under Title 42 and Title 8.
Civil organizations have criticized the applicants for this program, which aims to receive some 30,000 immigrants per month.
Those who are expelled expeditiously will be sent to Mexico, a country that has agreed to receive some 30,000 immigrants a month under its refuge programs.
Sullivan said the summit will not delve into a possible expansion of the program in relation to people who can be sent to Mexico.
President Biden visited the border from El Paso, Texas, where he met with Border Patrol elements and acknowledged that he would send more resources for surveillance.