CBS News: U.S. pauses immigration applications for certain migrants welcomed under Biden

Camilo Montoya-Galvez for CBS News reports that the Trump administration has “paused” processing immigration applications filed by migrants from Latin America and Ukraine under Biden-era programs, citing fraud and security concerns:

“[I]n a memo dated Feb. 14, Andrew Davidson, a top U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services official, ordered an agency-wide `administrative pause’ on all `pending benefit requests’ filed by migrants already allowed into the U.S. under three Biden administration programs.

They include a policy, called Uniting for Ukraine, set up to offer a safe haven to those fleeing the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Roughly 240,000 Ukrainians with American sponsors arrived in the U.S. . . . before President Trump took office. Another affected program, known as CHNV, allowed 530,000 Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans sponsored by American citizens to enter the U.S.

The third impacted program consists of processes that permitted some Colombians, Ecuadorians, Central Americans, Haitians and Cubans with American relatives to come to the U.S. to wait for a family-based green card to become available.”

The pauses affect programs that allow for legal status of noncitizens.  In a similar vein, the Department of Homeland Security has terminated Temporary Protected Status for Venezuelans.

KJ