Biden Relaunches Immigration Program for 4 Countries, Enhances Sponsor Vetting

In a notable shift, the Biden administration is set to revive an immigration program that allows individuals from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela to enter the United States. This revival comes after the administration conducted an internal review prompted by concerns about potential fraud involving financial sponsors based in the U.S.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) paused the program earlier this month as part of an investigation into these fraud allegations. However, the agency’s review concluded that there was no widespread fraud among sponsors, leading to the decision to restart the program with enhanced procedures to ensure its integrity.

“The new precautions, combined with our existing thorough vetting processes for prospective beneficiaries, will enhance the integrity of the program and better protect against the exploitation of applicants,” DHS stated.

This program was originally launched in January 2023 as a crucial element of the Biden administration’s immigration policy. It aims to establish legal pathways for migrants seeking entry into the U.S. while simultaneously limiting asylum for those who cross the southern border unlawfully.

Targeted at nations that have historically sent vast numbers of migrants to the U.S. and are often uncooperative regarding deportations, this policy works in conjunction with agreements from Mexico to receive individuals deported from these four countries for illegal border crossings.

According to the parameters of the program, the U.S. can accept up to 30,000 individuals per month from the designated nations over a two-year period. Those eligible must have a financial sponsor in the U.S., who will ensure their support, and they must arrive in the U.S. by air rather than through land borders. Both the sponsors and the migrants are subject to scrutiny by the DHS.

Critics, predominantly from the Republican Party, have condemned the initiative as a circumvention of established immigration laws. Following the program’s temporary suspension, they seized the opportunity to underscore their concerns regarding the vetting processes in place for potential migrants.

In a recent statement, the DHS announced the implementation of additional vetting measures. These new procedures will involve rigorous examination of the financial documents that sponsors must provide, along with their criminal history. Furthermore, sponsors will now be required to submit fingerprints, and the DHS will strengthen efforts to identify fraudulent sponsors and flag those who submit multiple applications.

While the review did uncover instances of fraud, such as sponsors using fictitious Social Security numbers, the majority of issues found were due to likely errors, such as typographical mistakes during online application submissions.

“From the start of this process, only a minuscule number of sponsors have raised red flags indicating fraud or criminal activities that warranted law enforcement inquiry,” the agency emphasized.

The DHS maintained that there have been no significant complications related to the vetting of the migrants themselves, stating that those entering the U.S. through this program have undergone comprehensive screening processes.

When the suspension was initially announced, the DHS did not specify the duration of the pause. Reports surfaced following a reference by the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), an organization advocating for stricter immigration measures, which flagged an internal agency document that cast doubts on the program’s integrity.

FAIR has claimed that this document suggested that 3,218 sponsors were involved in over 100,000 applications and that a concerning number of Social Security numbers utilized by sponsors appeared to belong to deceased individuals.

Concerns regarding the motivations of sponsors have been present since the program’s inception. Online groups, often named along the lines of “Sponsors U.S.,” have seen numerous posts offering and seeking financial assistance for sponsorships.

Since its launch, the program has facilitated the arrival of over 520,000 individuals from the four targeted nations to the U.S. This influx has coincided with a dramatic decrease in illegal border crossings from these nationalities. For instance, during the first half of the year, Cuban arrests dropped to 5,065, a stark contrast to more than 42,000 arrests recorded in November 2022 alone. Similarly, Haitian arrests plummeted to 304 during the same period, down from a peak nearing 18,000 in September 2021.