Officials, who requested to remain anonymous, discussed outlines of this Administration’s plan to deal with the large numbers of Venezuelans arriving at the US-Mexico border. The plan is similar to the one that was enacted enabling Ukrainians to enter the US subsequent to Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine.
Certain asylum seekers will need US financial sponsors to migrate to the United States. Up to 24,000 will be admitted to the US and may reside here for up to two years. Venezuelans who do qualify for parole would enter the US through airports. Eligible Venezuelan migrants who pass background checks will be granted “parole,” and will be permitted to apply for work permits. Parole does not provide a path to permanent legal status.
Venezuelans who cross the border on land, and illegally, from Mexico would be returned immediately per an alliance recently formed with the Mexican government. Venezuelans who enter Mexico or Panama illegally will be disqualified for the program.
The number of Venezuelans crossing the border continues to rise and recently surpassed the numbers for Guatemalans and Hondurans and follows only Mexico in the number of stops at the border. In the past, many Venezuelans who were fleeing their country ended up in Latin American and the Caribbean.
