As the Trump administration continues to challenge the foundations of humanitarian law in the United States,
CHNV program beneficiaries and their families live in complete uncertainty after the Supreme Court decided to authorize the Donald Trump administration to revoke their status. For them, their hope of living the American dream seems suspended, even shattered, while they wait for justice, or political change, to restore their hope.
The Supreme Court has upheld the Trump administration's position by reversing a district court decision in Svitlana Doe v. Noem. This ruling paves the way for the termination of legal status and work permits for approximately 500,000 people who benefit from the humanitarian parole program for citizens of Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela (CHNV).
This decision, migrant rights organizations noted in a statement, comes even though the case has not yet been heard by the First Circuit Court of Appeals, marking an unusual intervention by the highest US court. It is part of a recent series of legal attacks on humanitarian protections, including the revocation of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) granted to approximately 350,000 Venezuelans.
The impacts of this decision, according to the organizations, are immediate and potentially devastating. Hundreds of thousands of people who previously had legal status and work permits under the CHNV program are now facing deportation and finding themselves in an undocumented situation. This affects not only the direct beneficiaries but also their families, employers, and communities.
"The Supreme Court has just upheld one of the largest waves of delegalization in modern U.S. history," said Karen Tumlin, director of the Justice Action Center, which brought the case to court.
"The chaos this has caused is incalculable. Our clients now live in constant fear of deportation, separating families and leaving communities in shock," she added in a joint press release on Friday, May 30, 2025.
Migrant rights groups unanimously condemned this direct attack on the United States' humanitarian principles and commitments to protection. Guerline Jozef, executive director of the Haitian Bridge Alliance, criticized a decision that affects people who acted in good faith.
"These families followed the guidelines, responded to the federal government's calls, worked, educated their children, and contributed to their communities. Now they are being abandoned," she said.
"The devastating effects are already visible: children refuse to go to school, parents are afraid to go to work, entire families are paralyzed by anxiety," Ms. Josef lamented.
For over 70 years, compassionate parole programs have been used by both Republican and Democratic administrations to respond to humanitarian crises, promote family reunification, and encourage economic growth. The Trump administration's decision, now upheld by the Supreme Court, breaks with this bipartisan tradition.
On January 20, the administration declared all forms of categorical parole illegal, which could impact other programs such as Uniting for Ukraine or Operation Allies Welcome, designed for Ukrainian refugees or Afghan allies.
The Legal Struggle Continues
Despite this unfavorable decision, the plaintiffs' organizations promise to continue their fight. Anwen Hughes, director of legal strategy at Human Rights First, states: "This is not over. The Trump administration will still have to answer in court. We will continue to fight for justice and dignity for these people."
Across the country, many lawyers, activists, elected officials, and citizens are mobilizing to oppose this decision and demand lasting and humane reform of the U.S. immigration system.
