President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team has announced that the Biden administration will allow more than 1.3 million immigrants to enter the U.S. legally and make those who entered the country but have not yet received asylum eligible for deportation. It is considering ending the program, two people familiar with the plans told NBC. news.
The exact number of people who may face deportation after legally arriving in the United States is unknown, but the number is estimated to be in the hundreds of thousands.
President Trump’s plan to end President-elect Biden’s two programs comes as the president-elect’s pledged plan to carry out mass deportations is taking more shape. President Trump’s transition team is considering a plan to maximize the scope of deportations and prioritize certain immigrants to be deported first.
People who enter the country under this program may be subject to deportation, but the first targets are likely to be those deemed to be a threat, some of whom are in the U.S. illegally. Chinese men considered to be of military age may also be included, two sources said. Another person familiar with the plan told NBC News. The group also includes convicted criminals who are in the U.S. illegally and those who have received final deportation orders, officials said.
Immigrants who entered the United States legally under two Biden administration programs (CBP One and the Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela (CHNV) parole program) have already been granted asylum or are on a path to refugee status. If you have completed the process, you may be eligible for exemption from deportation. , or have another legal status to remain in the United States.
If not, they could be deported as part of President Trump’s plan to significantly increase the number of immigrant deportations.
However, officials warned that while they may not be considered a top priority for deportation after Trump takes office, they could be deported eventually.
These programs are a key part of Mr. Biden’s strategy to increase legal routes for immigrants to enter the United States while deterring illegal border crossings.
Because the immigrants entered the United States legally, President Trump’s efforts to deport them will likely be challenged in court by various groups.
A Trump campaign spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.
A legal battle is expected
Immigration advocates have praised the Biden administration’s plan and urged judges during Trump’s first term to halt the president’s plan to end the DACA program for immigrants brought to the U.S. as children. He is likely to ask judges to block the deportation plan, just as he did.
The Supreme Court rejected the Trump administration’s attempt to end DACA in 2020, but that was before the court switched to a conservative majority.
One immigrant advocate, speaking on condition of anonymity because he did not want to discuss possible litigation, said the new administration should expect a legal challenge.
“If[Trump]cancels[CHNV’s]parole program, what does that mean for people who have already come to have their parole revoked? We expect it to be legally difficult.” said the person.
More than 531,000 citizens of Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela have entered the United States through the CHNV parole program. The program was created to allow immigrants from these countries to apply for admission from their home countries with the assistance of a U.S.-based sponsor.
More than 852,000 immigrants have entered the country through CBP One, a cell phone application program for immigrants who have already left their home countries and are waiting in northern Mexico. They can apply for asylum through the app, but are not necessarily eligible.
Two officials said targeting immigrants who have applied for admission through these programs is more difficult than finding other immigrants living in the U.S. because the applications require them to provide their intended residence address and other information. He also said it was easy.
Who is subject to deportation?
People close to the Trump campaign say Chinese nationals of military age and considered to be in the U.S. illegally will be targeted first because they may pose a national security risk. Become.
In recent years, the number of Chinese nationals entering the United States has increased rapidly. Before 2021, the number of Chinese nationals entering the country illegally averaged less than 1,000 per year.
The number of illegal Chinese nationals who entered the United States across both the northern and southern borders nearly tripled, from more than 27,000 in 2022 to more than 78,000 in 2024.
More than 65,000 of those who crossed in 2024 were single adults, according to Customs and Border Protection data. It is not clear how many of them were men.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement has struggled to deport immigrants from China, as well as Nicaragua, Venezuela, Haiti and Cuba. This is because these countries often refuse to deport their citizens.
The Trump administration may consider sending migrants to third countries if their home countries refuse to accept them, two people familiar with the incoming administration’s plans said. President Trump adopted a similar policy at the end of his first term, when the United States deported immigrants from third countries to Guatemala.