Implementation of Changes to the Parole Process for Venezuelans

ACTION:

Notice

SUMMARY:

This notice announces that the Secretary of Homeland Security (Secretary) has authorized updates to the Parole Process for Venezuelans that was initiated in October 2022. The Venezuela process provides a safe and orderly pathway for certain individuals to seek authorization to travel to the United States to be considered for parole at an interior port of entry, contingent on the Government of Mexico (GOM) making an independent decision to accept the return or removal of Venezuelan nationals who bypass this new process and enter the United States without authorization. Pursuant to this notice, the Secretary has removed the limit of 24,000 total travel authorizations and replaced it with a monthly limit of 30,000 travel authorizations spread across this process and the separate and independent Parole Process for Cubans, Parole Process for Haitians, and Parole Process for Nicaraguans (as described in separate notices published concurrently in today's edition of the Federal Register ). The Secretary also has updated the eligibility criteria for the Venezuela process by including an exception that will enable Venezuelans who cross without authorization into the United States at the Southwest Border (SWB) and are subsequently permitted a one-time option to voluntarily depart or voluntarily withdraw their application for admission to maintain eligibility to participate in this parole process. DHS believes that these changes are needed to ensure that the Venezuela process continues to deliver the already-realized benefits of reducing the number of Venezuelan nationals crossing our border without authorization and the surge in migration throughout the hemisphere and channels migrants into a safe and orderly process that enables them to enter the United States without making the dangerous journey to the SWB.

DATES:

DHS will begin using the Form I-134A, Online Request to be a Supporter and Declaration of Financial Support, for this process on January 6, 2023. DHS will apply the changes to the process beginning on January 6, 2023.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Daniel Delgado, Acting Director, Border and Immigration Policy, Office of Strategy, Policy, and Plans, Department of Homeland Security, 2707 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. SE, Washington, DC 20528-0445; telephone (202) 447-3459 (not a toll-free number).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background—Venezuelan Parole Process

On October 19, 2022, DHS published a Federal Register Notice describing a new effort to address the high number of Venezuelans encountered at the SWB. Since the announcement of that process, Venezuelans who have not availed themselves of the process, and instead entered the United States without authorization, have been expelled to Mexico pursuant to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Title 42 public health Order or, if not expelled, processed for removal or the initiation of removal proceedings.

Once the Title 42 public health Order is lifted, DHS will no longer expel noncitizens to Mexico, but rather all noncitizens will be processed pursuant to DHS's Title 8 immigration authorities. The United States' continued operation of this process will continue to be contingent on the GOM's independent decision to accept the return of removal of individuals, including under Title 8 authorities.

Eligibility To Participate in the Process

As described in the October 19 Federal Register Notice, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) implemented a process—modeled on the successful Uniting for Ukraine (U4U) parole process—for certain Venezuelan nationals to lawfully enter the United States in a safe and orderly manner. To be eligible, individuals must have a supporter in the United States who agrees to provide financial support, such as housing and other needs; must pass national security and public safety vetting; and must agree to fly at their own expense to an interior U.S. port of entry (POE), rather than entering at a land POE.

Individuals are ineligible if they have been ordered removed from the United States within the prior five years or have entered unauthorized into the United States, Mexico, or Panama after October 19, 2022. Venezuelan nationals also are generally ineligible if they are a permanent resident or dual national of any country or hold refugee status in any country other than Venezuela, though per the conforming change described below, they will now remain eligible to be considered for parole under this process if DHS operates a similar parole process for nationals of that other country. Only those who meet all specified criteria will be eligible to receive advance authorization to travel to the United States and be considered for parole, on a case-by-case basis, under this process. The process originally limited the number of Venezuelans who could receive travel authorization to 24,000.

II. Assessment of Venezuela Parole Process to Date

The success of the Venezuela process demonstrates that combining a clear and meaningful consequence for unauthorized entry along the SWB with a significant incentive for migrants to wait where they are and use a lawful process to come to the United States can change migratory flows. Within a week of the October 12, 2022 announcement of that process, the number of Venezuelans encountered at the SWB fell from over 1,100 per day to under 200 per day, and as of the week ending December 4, to an average of 86 per day. The new process and accompanying consequence for unauthorized entry also led to a precipitous decline in Venezuelan irregular migration throughout the Western Hemisphere. The number of Venezuelans attempting to enter Panama through the Darién was down from 40,593 in October 2022 to just 668 in November. DHS provided the new parole process for Venezuelans who are backed by supporters in the United States to come to the United States by flying to interior POEs—thus obviating the need for them to make the dangerous journey to the SWB. Meanwhile, the GOM for the first time made an independent decision to accept the returns of Venezuelans who crossed the SWB without authorization pursuant to the Title 42 public health Order, which imposed a consequence on Venezuelans who sought to come to the SWB rather than avail themselves of the newly announced parole process. With the vast majority of those encountered returned to Mexico, fewer releases have freed up DHS resources that would otherwise be used to process these individuals; this has also reduced the number of individuals state and local governments, as supported by civil society, have had to receive and assist.

The effects have been felt throughout the Western Hemisphere, not just in the United States. Thousands of Venezuelans who had already crossed the Darién have flown back to Venezuela on voluntary flights organized by the governments of Mexico, Guatemala, and Panama, as well as civil society. Other migrants who were about to enter the Darién have turned around and headed back south. Still others who were intending to migrate north are staying where they are to apply for this lawful process, rather than make the dangerous journey to the SWB.

DHS has seen strong interest in this parole process. As of December 27, 2022, DHS had authorized travel for more than 15,700 Venezuelan beneficiaries, already more than half of the available number of travel authorizations. Of those authorized to travel to the United States, more than 10,600 have arrived and been paroled into the country. More than 3,600 of those Venezuelans who have flown into the United States and were paroled through this process arrived from Colombia; another 2,300 came from Venezuela, 1,500 from Mexico, and 3,100 from other countries. Those figures show that the process is reaching both people in Venezuela and Colombia before they seek to irregularly migrate, and those who are displaced in transit countries, like Mexico.

III. Changes

Given the early success of the process, the Secretary has authorized two changes to the process to ensure its continued viability, particularly as DHS prepares for an eventual transition from Title 42 processing to full Title 8 processing at the border.

A. Removal of the 24,000 Limit on Travel Authorizations and Replacement With a 30,000 Monthly Limit Spread Across Separate and Independent Parole Processes

The process announced in the October 19 Federal Register Notice was subject to a numerical limit. Demand for the Venezuela process has far exceeded the 24,000 limit set in the first Federal Register Notice. In just two months of operation, DHS received thousands of applications from supporters and has already approved well more than half of the available travel authorizations. Were DHS to reach the numerical limit, prospective migrants would no longer be eligible for this process, which serves as a meaningful alternative to irregular migration. DHS anticipates that we would then see increased irregular migration of Venezuelans.

Accordingly, the Secretary has removed the 24,000 numerical limit on travel authorizations and replaced it with a monthly limit of 30,000 travel authorizations in the aggregate spread across this process and the separate and independent Parole Process for Cubans, Parole Process for Haitians, and Parole Process for Nicaraguans (as described in separate notices published concurrently in today's edition of the Federal Register ). This change gives DHS the flexibility to continue the process for Venezuelans, thereby providing more certainty to the public and supporting partners. It also preserves the flexibility to extend or terminate the process, as the circumstances warrant. DHS will continue to evaluate this monthly limit and make adjustments if needed over time.

B. Updated Eligibility Criteria

Following the GOM's independent decision to accept returns of Venezuelans, DHS began expelling Venezuelans who are encountered after entering the United States without authorization, pursuant to the Title 42 public health Order. Currently, a Venezuelan (or qualifying immediate family member) is ineligible to participate in the parole process if, among other things, they crossed irregularly into the United States after October 19, 2022—regardless of whether they were expelled, ordered removed, or departed voluntarily.

After the Title 42 Order ceases to be in effect, DHS will resume Title 8 immigration processing of all individuals, including Venezuelans. Pursuant to Title 8, noncitizens who have entered the United States without authorization may be permitted to voluntarily depart pursuant to Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) 240B, 8 U.S.C. 1229c, may be permitted to voluntarily withdraw their application for admission pursuant to INA 235(a)(4), 8 U.S.C. 1225(a)(4), or may be ordered removed, regardless of whether Title 42 remains in effect.

Individuals continue to be generally ineligible for consideration for parole pursuant to this process if they have crossed into the United States without authorization between POEs along the SWB since October 20, 2022. There will now be the following exception: individuals who have crossed without authorization into the United States after December 20, 2022, and have been permitted a single instance of voluntary departure pursuant to INA 240B, 8 U.S.C. 1229c, or withdrawal of their application for admission pursuant to INA 235(a)(4), 8 U.S.C. 1225(a)(4), will remain eligible to participate in the parole process. If such an individual crossed without authorization between POEs along the SWB from October 20, 2022 through December 20, 2022, they would remain ineligible to participate and the exception would not apply. Permitting Venezuelan nationals to voluntarily depart or withdraw their application for admission one time and still be considered for parole through the process will reduce the burden on DHS personnel and resources that would otherwise be required to obtain and execute a final order of removal. This includes reducing strain on detention and removal flight capacity, officer resources, and reducing costs associated with detention and monitoring.

The Secretary has also approved a conforming change to provide that a Venezuelan national who is a permanent resident or dual national of any country or holds refugee status in any country other than Venezuela remains eligible to be considered for parole under this process if DHS operates a similar parole process for nationals of that other country. All other eligibility requirements described in the October 19, 2022 Notice remain the same.

These changes are responsive to our multilateral commitments to address irregular migration throughout the Hemisphere. In this case, the United States is making two changes to this process that will support our commitment to creating additional lawful pathways. For its part, the GOM has made an independent decision to accept the return or removal, including under Title 8, of Venezuelan nationals who bypass this new process and enter the United States without authorization. The United States' continued operation of this process is contingent on the GOM's independent decision in this regard.

C. Scope, Termination, and No Private Rights

The Secretary retains the sole discretion to terminate the Parole Process for Venezuelans at any point.The number of travel authorizations granted under this process shall be spread across this process and the separate and independent Parole Process for Cubans, Parole Process for Haitians, and Parole Process for Nicaraguans (as described in separate notices published concurrently in today's edition of the Federal Register ), and shall not exceed 30,000 each month. Each of these processes operates independently, and any action to terminate or modify any of the other processes will have no bearing on the criteria for or independent decisions with respect to this process.

This process is being implemented as a matter of the Secretary's discretion. It is not intended to and does not create any rights, substantive or procedural, enforceable by any party in any matter, civil or criminal.

IV. Regulatory Requirements

A. Administrative Procedure Act

The October 19 Federal Register Notice describing this process explained that this process is exempt from notice-and-comment rulemaking requirements because (1) the process is a general statement of policy, (2) the process pertains to a foreign affairs function of the United States, and (3) even if notice-and-comment were required, DHS would for good cause find that the delay associated with implementing these changes through notice-and-comment rulemaking would be impracticable and contrary to the public interest because of the need for coordination with the GOM, and the urgent border and national security and humanitarian interests in reducing and diverting the flow of irregular migration. The changes described in this Notice are amenable to immediate issuance and implementation for the same reasons.

First, these changes relate to a general statement of policy, i.e., a “statement[] issued by an agency to advise the public prospectively of the manner in which the agency proposes to exercise a discretionary power.” As section 212(d)(5)(A) of the INA, 8 U.S.C. 1182(d)(5)(A), provides, parole decisions are made by the Secretary of Homeland Security “in his discretion.”

Second, even if these changes were considered to be a legislative rule that would normally be subject to requirements for notice-and-comment rulemaking and a delayed effective date, these changes—like the implementation of the process itself—pertain to a foreign affairs function of the United States, as described in the October 19 notice, and are directly responsive to ongoing conversations with, and requests from, foreign partners. Specifically, the GOM has urged the United States to consider lifting the 24,000 limit, which would allow more Venezuelans to participate in and engage the process and further disincentivize irregular migration, enhancing the security of both of our borders. Delaying implementation of these changes to conduct notice-and-comment rulemaking would directly implicate the GOM's independent decision to accept returns, including under Title 8 processes, and produce undesirable international consequences. Absent these changes, DHS would soon reach the 24,000 cap and GOM would no longer accept the returns of Venezuelan nationals. Thus, without these changes, DHS would no longer have the ability to return Venezuelan nationals to Mexico, and the Venezuela process would no longer be viable. That would then, in all likelihood, lead to another surge in migration of Venezuelan nationals throughout the hemisphere and to our border.

Finally, even if notice-and-comment and a delayed effective date were required, DHS would for good cause find that the delay associated with implementing these changes through notice-and-comment rulemaking would be impracticable and contrary to the public interest because of the need for coordination with the GOM, and the urgent border and national security and humanitarian interests in reducing and diverting the flow of irregular migration. As noted above, absent immediate action, there is a risk that DHS meets the 24,000 cap, which would in turn cause the GOM to no longer accept the returns of Venezuelan nationals and end the success of the parole process to date at reducing the number of Venezuelan nationals encountered at the border.

B. Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA)

Under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), 44 U.S.C. chapter 35, all Departments are required to submit to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), for review and approval, any new reporting requirements they impose. The process announced by this notice involves three collections of information, as follows.

In connection with the process for Venezuelans, OMB has previously approved a revision to USCIS Form I-134, Declaration of Financial Support (OMB control number 1615-0014) under the PRA's emergency processing procedures at 5 CFR 1320.13. OMB has recently approved a new collection, Form I-134A, Online Request for Consideration to be a Supporter and Declaration of Financial Support (OMB control number 1615-NEW). This new collection will now be used for the Venezuela parole process and is being revised in connection with this notice, including by increasing the burden estimate. USCIS has submitted and OMB has approved a request for emergency authorization of the required changes (under 5 CFR 1320.13) for a period of 6 months. Within the next 90 days, USCIS will immediately begin normal clearance procedures under the PRA.

OMB has also previously approved an emergency request under 5 CFR 1320.13 for a revision to an information collection from CBP entitled Advance Travel Authorization (OMB control number 1651-0143). In connection with the changes described above, CBP is making further changes under the PRA's emergency processing procedures at 5 CFR 1320.13, including increasing the burden estimate. OMB has approved the emergency request for a period of 6 months. Within the next 90 days, CBP will immediately begin normal clearance procedures under the PRA.

More information about these collections can be viewed at www.reginfo.gov.