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Published on January 25, 2025
Miami Attorney Raises Alarm Over Shift in Immigration Policies Threatening Millions Once Protected Under BidenSource: Wikipedia/Adam Schultz, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Miami-based immigration attorney Wilfredo O. Allen has expressed his deep concerns for migrants who, previously protected under the Biden administration, are now facing legal uncertainties due to policy shifts by the Trump administration. According to Local 10 News, Allen, with experience spanning seven presidencies, specifically points out the plight of 1.5 million individuals who were residing in the U.S. legally under humanitarian parole that are now at risk of deportation.

Illustrating the rapid policy changes, it was recently urged by the Trump administration that federal agents should implement "expedited" deportation processes that would bypass immigration court hearings. With homeland security issuing directions, this policy could directly affect migrants from Venezuela, Haiti, Cuba, and Nicaragua. "They are now considered illegal aliens," Allen remarked, explaining how those under Biden's protection are now left vulnerable. Adding to the evolving landscape, under Trump's latest enactments, this same cohort of migrants could see their work permits and driving licenses invalidated, reported by Local 10 News.

A memo issued by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, as sourced by Hindustan Times, sheds light on the administration's focus to ramp up deportations by considering the stripping of legal status from those who entered through Biden's parole programs. This marks a stark contrast to the former policy, which only applied expedited removal to individuals apprehended within two weeks of entry and close to the U.S. border, now expanded to anyone who entered the U.S. within the last two years. These executive orders under Trump aim to not only combat illegal crossings but also scrutinize migrants who accessed the U.S. through legalized entry programs.

However, this push for aggressive enforcement has triggered backlash and concerns among various groups. Advocates fear targeting non-criminals, potential business disruptions, and family separations. An immigrant rights group based in New York, Make the Road New York, has taken legal steps to contest Trump's expansion of the fast-track deportation process. As Trump's administration reinforces its stance on deportations, these legal battles suggest a brewing conflict between immigrant rights organizations and the current federal immigration policies.

Despite the political crossfire, stories of impacted individuals like the young Venezuelan, sponsored by her family through humanitarian parole, put a human face to these abstract policies. As her family member, Juan Correa Villalonga, CEO of AMAVEX, shared in an interview obtained by Local 10 News, this revocation represents more than policy—it represents a threat to personal safety and well-being for those like his cousin, who "...was born a week after that," seeking refuge in the U.S. after losing her father.