On Thursday, Alabama Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas demanding an end to the Cuban, Haitian, Nicaraguan, and Venezuelan (CHNV) Parole Program, which allows foreign nationals from these countries to enter the U.S. temporarily.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which Mayorkas leads, is responsible for the program under the direction of the Biden-Harris administration.
“This program has allowed the entry of roughly 520,000 illegal aliens via commercial air travel, and more than 80% have landed in neighboring Florida, which has given human traffickers and sponsors a direct pipeline into Alabama,” Ainsworth wrote.
“This program, which lacks any form of congressional authorization, has intentionally and illegally provided an expressway for wrongly authorized individuals from these four nations to enter our country and unfairly compete for jobs and housing in our state.”
Ainsworth informed Mayorkas that everyday Alabamians feel less secure due to the “secretive” and “erratic” handling of the parole program. He also noted that recently released data indicates major shortfalls of the large-scale migration.
“The Federation for American Immigration Reform has obtained a new internal U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services report that details systemic flaws jeopardizing our state and national security along with the safety of our citizens. In essence, the Biden-Harris administration has scattered and discarded tens of thousands of illegal aliens into our communities, many of which are rural and close-knit, without the necessary tools to help Alabamians cope.”
“As you are aware, the Biden administration was forced to temporarily halt the CHNV parole program in mid-July out of an abundance of caution so it could address the fraud and sponsor applications. Less than six weeks later, the program was irresponsibly and recklessly restarted with no significant changes with the exception of fingerprinting potential sponsors.”
My letter to Secretary Mayorkas about the CHVN parole program. pic.twitter.com/pYeKNMbQ5o
— Will Ainsworth (@willainsworthAL) September 18, 2024
Ainsworth emphasized some of the growing issues in Alabama caused by the flawed parole program.
“The Biden Harris administration has created and your office has allowed an environment that is ripe for chaos, crime, and the depletion of state resources. The HIV rate is soaring, unlicensed drivers are having accidents, insurance rates are up, and our schools are being flooded with non-English speaking students whose teachers are not equipped to serve them.”
“The CHNV program is fundamentally flawed and must be immediately and permanently dismantled.”
In the letter, Ainsworth solicited five specific answers from Sec. Mayorkas:
“1. Can you provide a list of sponsors?
2. Are you checking the sponsors to ensure they are complying with the laws in the state of Alabama so they can be adhered to?
3. Are you tracking the sponsors of migrants after they enter the United States? Are you following up with sponsors or parolees?
4. How much federal money is flowing to the migrants and who is distributing the funds? Is it being funneled through non-government organizations?
5. How are these practices helping the good people of Alabama coexist with the flow of President Biden’s imported parolees as it relates to the ability to maintain and obtain jobs and affordable housing?”
Austen Shipley is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on X @ShipleyAusten
