The decision comes as political pressure mounts to cut down on programs that allow migrants to stay in the United States temporarily, even without a visa or green card.
The Biden administration said Friday it would allow the temporary legal permission for migrants from Cuba, Venezuela, Haiti, and Nicaragua to lapse, forcing hundreds of thousands of people to find other methods to stay in the country or face deportation.
The decision comes nearly two years after the Biden administration began a program allowing migrants from those four countries to apply to stay in the United States for two years, as long as they had a financial sponsor and passed background checks.
The program was designed to discourage people from sneaking into the country by giving them a legal way to enter the United States. Now, the administration said migrants cannot extend their stay under the program, according to an update on the Homeland Security Department’s website.
“This two-year period was intended to enable individuals to seek humanitarian relief or other immigration benefits for which they may be eligible, and to work and contribute to the United States,” Naree Ketudat, a department spokeswoman, said in a statement.
New applicants from the four countries will continue be accepted. Similar programs for Afghan and Ukrainian migrants allowed them to extend their stays.
The change highlights the long-term challenges of programs that never offered a permanent path to remaining in the United States. It also comes as political pressure mounts to cut down on so-called parole programs that allow people to enter for a short period without a visa or green card.
