(Washington, DC) — The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has disclosed that it greenlit the flights of over 386,000 immigrants directly from foreign airports into the United States since the program’s initiation in January 2023, despite lacking Congressional authorization.
Initially aimed at aiding Cuban, Haitian, Nicaraguan, and Venezuelan nationals, the program, alternatively known as the “CHNV Program” or the “Advanced Travel Authorization Program,” has since expanded to include five additional nationalities. Through this initiative, U.S.-based sponsors facilitate air travel permissions on behalf of prospective immigrants abroad, utilizing an online platform and mobile app called CBP-One for application submission.
Upon approval from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection under President Biden’s administration, the approved applicants independently arrange commercial flights to designated U.S. international airports, where they undergo processing by U.S. customs inspectors for entry into the country. In parallel, a related program has admitted approximately 420,000 individuals from 100 countries through eight land ports over the past year.
Both programs operate under the authority outlined in the Immigration and Nationality Act, specifically a provision permitting temporary “humanitarian parole” granted by the president on a “case by case” basis during emergencies. However, this administration has notably utilized this authority to a significantly broader extent compared to previous administrations, admitting a combined total of over 800,000 individuals through both land and air ports under humanitarian parole, purportedly to mitigate the optics of mass illegal border crossings.
This influx of immigrants, however, has occurred without coordination with key stakeholders such as state governors or local authorities, leaving taxpayers to bear the financial burden associated with the sudden influx. The administration’s lack of transparency is evident in its refusal to disclose detailed program information, as highlighted by its denial of a Freedom of Information Act request from the Center for Immigration Studies in 2023.
