Cuban humanitarian parole under the CHNV process was terminated by the Department of Homeland Security on March 25, 2025, and individual paroles granted under it ended 30 days later on April 24, 2025.1GovInfo. 90 FR 13611 – Termination of Parole Processes for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans If you were paroled into the United States as a Cuban national under this program, you can no longer rely on that parole to remain here or to work, but you may have stronger options than parolees from Haiti, Nicaragua, or Venezuela because the Cuban Adjustment Act offers a direct route to a green card. The single most important step is to file for another immigration benefit, if you haven’t already, before removal enforcement reaches you.
What Termination Means for You Right Now
DHS has said it generally intends to remove people who entered under CHNV parole and lack another lawful basis to stay. The Federal Register notice drew one meaningful line: removal priority focuses on parolees who had not, before the termination notice, properly filed for another immigration benefit such as adjustment of status, asylum, Temporary Protected Status, or T or U nonimmigrant status.2Federal Register. Termination of Parole Processes for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans If you already hold a separate lawful status, you are not required to depart.
A federal judge in Massachusetts initially blocked the terminations in April 2025, but on May 30, 2025, the Supreme Court stayed that order, letting DHS proceed while the case continues in the First Circuit. DHS has been issuing individual termination notices and revoking employment authorization documents issued to CHNV parolees.3U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. FAQs on the Effect of Changes to Parole and Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for SAVE Agencies If your EAD is revoked, USCIS has instructed parolees to return the card. New Form I-134A supporter declarations are no longer being accepted, so the program is closed at both ends.4U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Update on Form I-134A
The Cuban Adjustment Act Route to a Green Card
The Cuban Adjustment Act of 1966 gives Cuban natives and citizens a green card route that skips the employer or family visa system. You qualify if you meet all of the following:5U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Green Card for a Cuban Native or Citizen
- You are a native or citizen of Cuba.
- You were inspected and admitted or paroled into the United States after January 1, 1959.
- You have been physically present in the United States for at least one year at the time you file Form I-485.
- You are physically present in the United States when you file.
- You are admissible for permanent residency or qualify for a waiver.
There is a point here that many Cuban CHNV parolees miss. The one-year physical presence does not have to start on the date you were paroled; if you were already in the United States for at least a year before parole, you can file for adjustment right away. Cuban Adjustment Act applicants are also exempt from several inadmissibility grounds that block other applicants, including the public charge ground, labor certification requirements, and certain documentation requirements.
One legal question is open: whether a parole that DHS has since terminated still counts as having been “paroled” for Cuban Adjustment Act purposes. The statute requires that you were inspected and admitted or paroled, and the parole was valid when granted. This is exactly the sort of question where an immigration attorney’s judgment matters, and where the government’s position could shift as the litigation continues.
Asylum and Other Backup Options
You retain the right to apply for asylum even after your parole is terminated. Parolees are generally exempt from the one-year filing deadline that applies to most asylum seekers, so you have more flexibility on timing than many applicants. Asylum requires showing a well-founded fear of persecution based on race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group. Not every Cuban parolee will have a viable asylum claim, and filing a frivolous application creates its own long-term immigration problems.
Other paths that the Federal Register notice recognized as protective against removal priority include Temporary Protected Status if Cuba is designated for TPS when you apply, a pending family-based visa petition filed by a U.S. citizen or permanent resident relative, and T or U nonimmigrant status for victims of trafficking or certain crimes. What matters for enforcement priority is that the application was properly filed before the termination date.
Access to Federal Benefits
Federal law treats Cuban and Haitian entrants similarly to refugees for public benefits purposes. Under the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act, Cuban-Haitian entrants are exempt from the five-year waiting period that normally applies to other qualified noncitizens.6Congressional Research Service. Immigration Parolees Eligibility for Federal Benefits Programs available on that basis include Medicaid, SNAP, and TANF (each for seven years after entry), Supplemental Security Income, and Office of Refugee Resettlement benefits.
Whether you keep access after your parole is terminated depends on whether you hold another qualifying status. Adjust under the Cuban Adjustment Act and eligibility continues. If your parole ends and you have no other status, expect to lose access. Benefit agencies verify status through SAVE, and SAVE reflects the parole termination.
Address Reporting and Travel
Any noncitizen in the United States, including someone whose parole has ended but who has a pending application for something else, must report a change of address to USCIS within 10 days of moving.7U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. AR-11, Aliens Change of Address Card Missing this deadline is itself an immigration violation and can complicate anything you have pending. You can file the update online or on paper Form AR-11.
Do not leave the country. Departing after parole termination ends any ability to return on that parole grant. Even before termination, travel required advance parole through Form I-131.8U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Application for Travel Documents, Parole Documents, and Arrival/Departure Records If you have a pending Cuban Adjustment Act application or asylum claim, leaving can be treated as abandoning it. Stay in the United States until your application is decided, and get a lawyer’s read on your specific facts before making any move that involves the border.