FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, President Trump signed a flurry of executive orders that, if not blocked in the courts, would fundamentally alter how immigrants are welcomed and treated in the United States. The orders, which include mandates to terminate birthright citizenship for many and deploy the military to target people seeking safety at the Southern border.
Hidden in the barrage of orders is one sentence terminating all “categorical” humanitarian parole programs, specifically naming the one for nationals of Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela, which allowed Americans to individually sponsor individuals from those countries to live and work in the United States temporarily. In 2023, Justice Action Center and others intervened in a case brought by Texas and other states to defend this program on behalf of seven U.S. citizen sponsors. Much remains to be seen about how this executive order will be implemented but it likely also puts at risk other important parole programs for Afghan allies and Ukrainians.
Below is a statement by Karen Tumlin, Founder and Director at Justice Action Center:
“Today’s actions should horrify any person of conscience. The Trump administration went out of its way to deprive fundamental, cherished rights of newborns and those seeking safety. While these orders may represent the campaign promises made, they do not represent the will of the people.
“We know that Americans are also welcomers. More than 1.5 million Americans have volunteered to sponsor family members, loved ones, and other global neighbors since the Biden Administration launched the humanitarian parole program for certain Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans. Sponsors took on financial responsibility for individuals and joyfully welcomed them into their hearts, homes, and communities.
“The humanitarian program the Trump administration just ended doesn’t just harm those seeking a safe, temporary, and lawful pathway to enter the United States—it hurts welcomers, too. That’s why we, with partners, defended this program in 2023. The case went to trial before a Trump-appointed judge, and we won.
“The freedom to welcome is sacred, and we will not give up on it. We will continue to defend it in court, as necessary.”
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Justice Action Center (JAC) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to fighting for greater justice for immigrant communities by combining litigation and storytelling. JAC is committed to bringing additional litigation resources to address unmet needs, empower clients, and change the corrosive narrative around immigrants in the U.S. Learn more at justiceactioncenter.org and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.