Chairman Mark Green (R-TN) of the House Homeland Security Committee has criticized Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas' Cuban, Haitian, Nicaraguan, and Venezuelan (CHNV) parole program. The program permits individuals deemed "inadmissible aliens" to enter the U.S., a practice that Green deems unlawful. He argues that it is "used to hide the worsening border crisis," citing new documents which reveal that since January 2023, the Biden Administration has facilitated the entry of 404,000 illegal immigrants into U.S. airports. Green issued this statement in a press release from the House Homeland Security Committee on April 30.
"These documents expose the egregious lengths Secretary Mayorkas will go to ensure inadmissible aliens reach every corner of the country, from Orlando and Atlanta to Las Vegas and San Francisco," said Green, Chairman of House Homeland Security Committee, according to Homeland Security Committee. "Secretary Mayorkas' CHNV parole program is an unlawful sleight of hand used to hide the worsening border crisis from the American people. Implementing a program that allows otherwise inadmissible aliens to fly directly into the U.S.––not for significant public benefit or urgent humanitarian reasons as the Immigration and Nationality Act mandates––has been proven an impeachable offense. Following our subpoena and the House's impeachment vote––especially in light of the Senate's complete failure to fulfill its duty to hold a trial––the Committee will not rest until this administration is finally held accountable for its open-borders agenda and its devastating impact on our homeland security."
According to documents obtained by the House Homeland Security Committee from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), between January and August of 2023, approximately 200,000 immigrants from Cuba, Haiti, Venezuela and Nicaragua were flown into 50 cities across the United States.
Further DHS documents disclosed that as of mid-October 2023, there were 1.6 million "inadmissible aliens" awaiting entry through the parole program. The committee's press release quotes these documents: "All individuals paroled into the United States are, by definition, inadmissible, including those paroled under the CHNV Processes." During this period, Miami was the top receiving location with 91,821 immigrants followed by Ft. Lauderdale with 60,461 immigrants and New York City with 14,827 immigrants.
The CHNV parole program was initiated by the Biden Administration to facilitate immigrant entry into America. Enrolled immigrants can use U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s CBP One app to schedule appointments. According to a press release from the House Homeland Security Committee: "Secretary Mayorkas defied the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), abusing its permissibility for parole which may be granted only on a case-by-case basis for significant public benefit or urgent humanitarian need."
The program was first launched for Venezuelans in October 2022, and later expanded to include Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Cubans. It allows up to 30,000 monthly entries with work permits and a two-year stay authorization. Secretary Mayorkas has referred to the program as a "safe and orderly" migration route.
Representative Mark Green (R-Tenn.), who has been representing Tennessee's 7th Congressional District since 2019, is currently seeking re-election. Before his congressional service, he served in the Tennessee State Senate from 2012 to 2018 for District 22. According to Ballotpedia, Green holds a bachelor's degree in quantitative business management, a master's certificate in information systems, and has professional experience as the president of Emergency Services Network and CEO of Align MD Foundation. He is also a member of both the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the House Committee on Armed Services.
