The Trump administration began issuing deportation notices Thursday to roughly 500,000 immigrants who had previously received temporary authorization to live and work in the U.S. through a special humanitarian program.
The program, known as CHNV, was introduced in 2023 and allowed individuals from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela to temporarily stay in the U.S. due to unsafe or unstable conditions in their home countries. President Donald Trump formally ended the program earlier this year.
According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), recipients of the program are now required to self-deport immediately. DHS has encouraged affected individuals to use the Home Mobile App to begin their departure process. Those who do will receive:
- A travel assistance package
- A $1,000 relocation bonus upon arrival in their home country
Supreme Court Clears the Way
The mass notices come two weeks after the Supreme Court ruled that DHS has the authority to expel CHNV participants—even if legal challenges against the program’s termination are still pending.
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin issued a sharp rebuke of the Biden-era policy, stating that the prior administration “lied to America” by promising long-term security under a policy that had no permanence.
Immigrants under the CHNV program were granted two-year stays on humanitarian grounds, often after fleeing violence, political instability, or economic collapse.
Trump Voices Concern Over Labor Shortages
Despite backing the crackdown, President Trump acknowledged concerns from U.S. industries about the unintended consequences of aggressive deportation.
“Our great Farmers and people in the Hotel and Leisure business have been stating that our very aggressive policy on immigration is taking very good, long term workers away from them,” Trump wrote Thursday on Truth Social.
He criticized what he called the “Biden Open Borders Policy,” claiming that while long-time immigrant workers are being deported, “criminals allowed into our country” are applying for those jobs.
Later in the day, speaking to reporters, Trump struck a more conflicted tone:
“We can’t take farmers and take all their people and send them back… They’ve worked great. The owner of the farm loves them,” he said. “We’re going to have an order on that pretty soon.”
Trump also suggested similar concerns apply to the hospitality industry, signaling potential adjustments to deportation policy that could protect long-term undocumented workers in key sectors.
What The Author Thinks
It’s ironic that the administration is calling for mass self-deportation while simultaneously worrying about the labor shortage it might worsen. You can’t say immigrants are hurting the country one day, then admit they’re essential workers the next. This contradiction isn’t new in U.S. immigration policy, but it’s now more visible than ever. Mass removals may score political points, but they risk gutting industries already struggling to find reliable labor.
Featured image credit: Heute
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