There is much uncertainty and a lack of information for Cubans, Haitians, Venezuelans and Nicaraguans.
By Loraine Morales Pino (El Toque)
HAVANA TIMES – In July 2024, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) paused the humanitarian parole program offered by the US government to Cuban, Nicaraguan, Haitian, and Venezuelan citizens after detecting fraud in thousands of sponsor applications. A report by the Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate revealed that more than 100,000 forms were submitted by 3,218 serial sponsors, and some physical addresses were used hundreds of times.
Although DHS suspended approved travel permits —until investigations were concluded and evaluation filters were improved— department spokespersons clarified that the program was not canceled.
Data from the Inmigreat platform (which since July 2023 has been collecting and analyzing the processing levels of humanitarian parole cases) confirms the decline in travel permit approvals starting from July 6, 2024, with a complete halt on the 18th of that month. However, since August 1, the project’s statistics have recorded new approvals and updates in cases.
Between August 1 and 13, 2024, Inmigreat recorded between 30 and 40 daily travel permit approvals. Although this movement does not yet match the usual pace, it confirms that the program is not completely halted.
Initially, it was believed that updates on travel permits indicated denials, but some users received update notifications without any actual change in their status. In other cases, users who had been denied travel permits later received new approvals, suggesting that the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) might be conducting additional reviews or that there could be a system error.
Journalist Mario Penton posted screenshots on his Facebook profile of messages from a user describing the case of a parole beneficiary who had to cancel their flight twice before arriving in the United States.
On August 12, 2024, Martí Noticias also reported on the uncertainty faced by Cubans stranded in Brazil, who were prevented from boarding their flights despite having active travel permits.
“At São Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport, they are not allowing us to travel with that document. Our USCIS accounts show the permits [for travel] remain active, but what we are told is that the program is halted,” Yailin Herrero explained to Martí Noticias.
Companies like Latam, Delta, and American Airlines confirmed to Herrero that they would not allow boarding even with an approved travel permit while the humanitarian parole program was suspended. However, DHS had stated that beneficiaries with approved travel permits could travel to the United States.
El Toque requested information on the discrepancies from American Airlines, Latam, and Delta. At the time of publication, none of the airlines had responded to the request.
Social media users reported that program beneficiaries have flown from Cuba to the United States without problems. At the same time, others have reported that airlines like Avianca and American Airlines do not allow some passengers to board despite having travel authorizations.
Due to the lack of official information, the Inmigreat team launched a survey aimed at users who have received update notifications to clarify whether the changes correspond to denials, approvals, or if there is an anomaly in the USCIS automated system.
The majority of survey participants were Cuban (52%), followed by Haitians (40%), Venezuelans (5%), and Nicaraguans (2%).
Of the total surveyed, only 19% reported having obtained a travel permit after their status update. In contrast, 63% reported that, despite receiving approval for their update, their travel permit was denied.
Ángel Baullosa, one of the founders of Inmigreat, expressed concern over the fact that a considerable number of people who had their travel permits denied after updating their status were in the United States. This situation raises questions about future actions by the US government regarding such cases.
A graph produced by Inmigreat records the number of approved cases per day during August 2024 and shows an unusual trend. Since August 1, there has been a significant decrease in sponsor approvals, particularly on August 2, when an “unusually high peak” of travel permit updates was reported, unprecedented since mid-July.
Baullosa explained that the low case registration on weekends is common due to inactivity in government offices, as only automatic updates of delayed processes are recorded.
However, the most notable aspect of the analysis is the drastic reduction in the number of denials reported on August 12, 2024, with only three cases, representing a significant deviation from the previous trend.
Despite the slow pace of approvals and the reduced processing volume, Baullosa highlighted that there is movement within the system, offering a slight hope to applicants. However, he emphasizes that the program has not returned to normal, and the slowdown in the process could indicate other problems or changes in evaluation.
Inmigreat, a business initiative launched in 2023, is the result of the joint effort of two Cuban developers. The platform was conceived by Angel Baullosa and Karel Bofill, both residents in the United States. The founders applied their knowledge in Technology and Business to create the company focused on immigration services.
First published in Spanish by El Toque and translated and posted in English by Havana Times.
Read more from Cuba here on Havana Times.
