Republicans slam Biden migrant parole program: ‘This program is rife with fraud’

Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee grilled Ur Jaddou, head of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), on Wednesday, slamming her leadership and the Biden administration for waving in mass illegal immigration and running a humanitarian parole program “rife with fraud.”

As a federal agency meant to oversee lawful immigration into the U.S., USCIS has faced intense scrutiny from lawmakers who accused Jaddou of failing to effectively manage the agency’s duties. Texas Rep. Troy Nehls didn’t hold back in his criticism, telling Jaddou, “You totally blew it.” He went on to express the frustrations of the American people, who are fed up with the current state of immigration policies.

Rep. Tom McClintock, head of the Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement, also took aim at Jaddou, highlighting the lack of credible fear interviews being conducted before migrants are released into the country. He pointed out that under the Biden administration, USCIS fees were no longer sufficient to carry out these essential interviews, leading to a breakdown in the immigration system.

McClintock specifically called out the Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans parole program (CHNV), which allowed over 530,000 migrants from these countries to enter the U.S. According to a report by the subcommittee, the program was riddled with fraud and abuse, with sponsors using the same information on multiple applications.

The CHNV program, initiated by the Biden administration in January 2023, was meant to provide temporary entry to the U.S. for migrants facing exigent circumstances. However, it quickly spiraled out of control, leading to mass admissions and exploitation by migrants who took advantage of the lax oversight.

Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan pressed Jaddou on the program’s flaws, leading her to admit that migrants could sponsor each other under the program. Arizona Rep. Andy Biggs further exposed the widespread fraud within the CHNV program, citing numerous instances of duplicate information being used on sponsor applications.

Throughout the hearing, Jaddou defended USCIS’s management of the CHNV program, stating that it was just one piece of a comprehensive border management strategy. However, lawmakers remained unconvinced, with Texas Rep. Wesley Hunt accusing the Biden administration of legalizing illegal immigration by expanding the use of parole to suit their needs.

The grilling of Jaddou by Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee underscored the growing concerns over the Biden administration’s handling of immigration policies. As the debate over immigration reform continues to heat up, it is clear that USCIS will face continued scrutiny from lawmakers seeking to address the challenges facing the U.S. immigration system.