The Trump administration faces another legal challenge as a group of immigrants and American sponsors sue over the freeze on humanitarian parole programs that have allowed hundreds of thousands of migrants to enter the U.S. legally. Did Biden-era immigration policies create an unsustainable system that President Trump is now forced to correct?
At a Glance
- A lawsuit has been filed challenging President Trump’s suspension of humanitarian parole programs for migrants from Ukraine and six other countries
- The programs had allowed approximately 875,000 migrants to legally enter and live in the U.S. temporarily
- American sponsors who supported these immigrants are among the plaintiffs, arguing the administration is unfairly changing established rules
- The Biden administration had granted parole to over 1.5 million people during its four years
- President Trump ordered an end to categorical parole programs as part of his broader immigration enforcement strategy
Biden’s Mass Parole System Under Scrutiny
A new lawsuit challenges President Trump’s decision to end several humanitarian parole programs that were established under the Biden administration, which had used the authority to grant temporary legal status to approximately 875,000 migrants from Ukraine, Afghanistan, Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. The legal action comes as the Trump administration continues its swift overhaul of America’s immigration system, focusing on border security and removing incentives for illegal immigration.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) authorized a complete reevaluation of the parole system, suspending new applications and processing for programs like “Uniting for Ukraine” which had been used to fast-track migrants into the country. The suspension reflects growing concerns that the Biden administration had dramatically expanded parole authority beyond its intended purpose, creating what critics called a shadow immigration system that bypassed Congress.
Liberal Activists Lead Legal Challenge
The lawsuit was filed in federal court in Massachusetts by immigrants from affected countries and American sponsors who had participated in the programs. Organizations like the Justice Action Center and Haitian Bridge Alliance, which have repeatedly opposed Trump’s immigration policies, are backing the challenge. These groups claim the suspension violates federal regulations and are seeking court orders to force the government to resume processing applications.
“The Trump administration is trying to attack parole from all angles. The main goal, above all, is to defend humanitarian parole. These have been very, very successful processes,” Esther Sung from the Justice Action Center said.
What Sung and other advocates fail to mention is that parole authority was originally designed for exceptional cases with urgent humanitarian needs, not as a mass migration pathway that circumvents normal immigration procedures. Under Biden, parole was expanded to an unprecedented level, with over 1.5 million people granted this status in just four years – far surpassing any previous administration’s use of this authority.
American Sponsors Voice Frustration
Among the plaintiffs are American citizens who sponsored migrants through these programs, including Kyle Varner, who sponsored 79 Venezuelans, and Sandra McAnany, who has sponsored multiple immigrants. These sponsors invested time and resources into supporting migrants under the expectation that the government would maintain these pathways.
“I care so much about each of the people that I sponsor. I can’t just walk away and give up,” Sandra McAnany said.
Despite the emotional appeals from sponsors, the Trump administration appears committed to its position that these mass parole programs exceeded statutory authority and undermined proper immigration channels. The Justice and Homeland Security Departments have so far declined to comment on the lawsuit, as the administration continues to implement its broader strategy of enforcing existing immigration laws and securing the border.
Notably, there has been minimal political pushback against ending these programs, with only three Cuban-American representatives from Florida expressing concerns – illustrating the growing consensus among Republicans that Biden’s approach to immigration required correction.
