Immigration: Sources say Biden’s supervisor is working on a plan to manage the flow of Venezuelan immigrants

CNN
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The Biden administration is studying a new program for You have Venezuelan immigrants apply to access US ports of entry, such as the airport, instead of crossing the border illegally Southern Borderif they have a link pre-existing in the United States, according to four sources familiar with the discussions.

The proposal comes amid an influx of immigrants of those nationalities at the US-Mexico border, draining federal resources and border cities. In August, 55,333 migrants found at the border were from Venezuela, Cuba or Nicaragua, up 175% from last August, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

The plan is intended to be an expanded and more structured process. If the immigrants meet the criteria and are approved, they will be released on parole in the United States at an airport with the ability to work legally as well.

Mexico is also expected to take in a number of Venezuelans under Trump’s pandemic emergency law, known as Title 42, which allows authorities to turn away immigrants at the US-Mexico border, according to two sources.

It was management officials wrestling with exodus across the Western Hemisphere for months, stressing the need for all countries to help ease the flow and create better conditions in the country. The issue was a topic of discussion again last week at a meeting of foreign ministers in Lima, Peru.

The shift in demographics—with many immigrants now from Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua—is uniquely difficult for the United States due in part to lukewarm relations with those countries that largely prevent the administration from turning people away from those countries.

The proposal under consideration is an acknowledgment of the fact that Venezuelans are largely released in the United States while they go through immigration procedures and, in some cases, have family or friends to join them in the country.

CNN has reached out to the White House for comment.

The Biden administration took an approach similar to the one under consideration with Ukrainians fleeing their war-torn country, allowing them entry into the United States as well as the ability to work temporarily. This program was set up to avoid Ukrainians entering the US-Mexico border and undergoing an orderly process.

Poor economic conditions, food shortages, and limited access to health care are increasingly driving Venezuelans to leave — posing an urgent and severe challenge to management as thousands reach the southern border of the United States.

More than 6 million Venezuelans They fled their country amid the deteriorating conditions, Ukraine matches the number of displaced people and surpasses Syria, according to the United Nations. More than 1,000 Venezuelans are arrested along the US-Mexico border daily, according to a Homeland Security official.

Venezuelans apprehended at the US-Mexico border are generally released into the US under the Immigration and Customs Enforcement program, which monitors people using ankle monitors, phones, or a GPS-enabled app while they are in procedures their immigration. But the latest proposal is expected to take a more systematic approach.

A jump in the movement of Venezuelans in the hemisphere occurred during a White House meeting last month with 19 countries in the Western Hemisphere, a senior administration official told CNN earlier.

“We found that lack of coordination leads to more immigrants being exploited,” the senior administration official said. “There is consensus that there is value in working closely and trying to synchronize our policies.”

This story was updated with additional information on Tuesday.