The Department of Homeland Security revealed that it sent more than 200,000 migrants under a controversial parole program to 45 cities across the United States between January and August 2023.
The policy, which took effect in October 2022, allowed a limited number of migrants who had not entered the country illegally to fly directly to America.
Migrants also had to have a sponsor in the US and undergo various vetting tests.
It was initially announced for Venezuelans, before Haitians, Nicaraguans and Cubans were added during one of the worst migrant crises in U.S. history under President Joe Biden and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
About 80 percent of the migrants were sent to four cities in the state of Florida: Miami — which received 91,821, more than any other city — Fort Lauderdale, Orlando and Tampa Bay, according to DHS.
The Department of Homeland Security revealed that it sent more than 200,000 migrants under a controversial parole program to 45 cities across the United States between January and August 2023.
It was initially announced for Venezuelans, before Haitians, Nicaraguans and Cubans were added amid one of the worst migrant crises in U.S. history under President Joe Biden and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
Under fire Secretary Mayorkas says the program has led to a reduction in the number of people from those countries crossing the border illegally.
‘It is a key element of our efforts to tackle unprecedented levels of migration in our hemisphere, and other countries around the world see it as a model for tackling the challenge of increased irregular migration, which they too face ,” Mayorkas said.
The rest of the top ten included New York City, Houston, Los Angeles, Dallas, San Francisco and Atlanta.
Another 1.6 million migrants are waiting to enter the country through the same program, DHS claims.
Several states, including Florida, have tried to sue to stop the program, but have so far been unsuccessful.
“Biden’s parole program is unlawful and constitutes an abuse of constitutional authority. Florida is currently suing Biden to shut it down, and we believe we will prevail,” said Governor Ron DeSantis’ press secretary Jeremy Redfern.
Since Biden took office, the US has seen record numbers of illegal border crossings.
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has apprehended more than 7.6 million migrants crossing the southern border illegally – the majority traveling from Central and South American countries in an attempt to seek asylum in the US.
Under fire Secretary Mayorkas says the problem has led to a decrease in the number of people from those countries crossing the border illegally
The policy, which took effect in October 2022, allowed a limited number of migrants who had not entered the country illegally to fly directly to America. Migrants also had to have a sponsor in the US and undergo various vetting tests
The crisis at the border has been a scandal for the Biden administration throughout his presidency, with former president and 2024 opponent Donald Trump vowing to resolve the problem.
Trump is ready to reform American policy and has worked this out interviews with TIME Magazine what some of these major overhauls would entail.
In a wide-ranging interview on April 12 at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, the former president confirmed he would use detention camps to house illegal immigrants during deportation efforts.
He also did not rule out deploying the military to round up the millions of undocumented immigrants living in the country. As of January 2022, the population of illegal immigrants in the US was estimated at 11.35 million.
Trump has repeatedly said he would take aggressive action to address the border issue on the first day of his second term, after President Joe Biden reversed almost all of his policies and plunged the country into an all-out illegal immigration crisis.
His proposals include calling in local law enforcement, the National Guard and, if necessary, members of the U.S. military to round up illegal immigrants for deportation.
TIME National Politics Reporter Eric Cortellessa asked Trump if he would override the Posse Comitatus Act, which says the U.S. military cannot be used against civilians.
“Well, these aren’t civilians,” the former president responded. ‘These are people who do not legally reside in our country. This is an invasion of our country. An invasion the likes of which probably no country has ever seen before.’
‘They come in by the millions. I believe we have 15 million now. And I think you’ll have 20 million by the time this ends,” Trump predicted. “And that’s bigger than almost every state.”
He also said it is unlikely he would have to house these immigrants in detention camps as he plans to deport them quickly – but he did not rule out building more shelters during the operation if necessary.
“No, I’m not ruling anything out,” Trump said. ‘But there wouldn’t be much need for that [detention camps], due to the fact that we are going to move them. We’re going to bring them back from where they came.”