House Republicans Confront Immigration Chief Over Controversial Parole Program

Republican members of a U.S. House Judiciary Committee panel interrogated the head of the Department of Homeland Security during a heated hearing on Wednesday, focusing on the Biden administration’s parole program. This program allows for temporary protections and work permits for nationals from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela, provided they have sponsorship from U.S. residents.

Rep. Tom McClintock, chair of the Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement, accused U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) of creating “unlawful” immigration pathways through these humanitarian parole programs. This authority has been exercised by presidents since the 1950s. Full Judiciary Committee chair Jim Jordan of Ohio pressed USCIS Director Ur Jaddou on whether previous administrations had implemented parole programs on such a scale.

Since President Biden initiated the program in 2022, over 500,000 individuals have entered the U.S. using this process. In her defense, Jaddou noted that historical precedent exists for presidents to utilize parole authority in managing immigration.

Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington criticized Republican efforts to restrict legal immigration pathways, asserting that immigrants contribute significantly to the U.S. workforce. “We benefit from the contributions of immigrants and their families in every single field of work,” she stated.

The funding structure of USCIS, a $5 billion agency largely sustained by immigrant filing fees (96%), was also a topic of discussion. Jayapal emphasized that Jaddou had to rebuild the agency after budget deficits caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The agency manages various immigration-related applications, including those for naturalization, family visas, and humanitarian programs. Jaddou highlighted challenges posed by the reliance on fee-based funding, which can hinder hiring and operational efficiency.

Amidst questions about potential fraud within the parole program, Arizona Rep. Andy Biggs pointed out a recent five-week pause on applications to investigate issues with U.S.-based sponsors. He noted the program’s suspension was due to fraud concerns. McClintock further pressed Jaddou for statistics on how many paroles had been renewed and how many recipients had changed their immigration status since the program’s inception, but she was unable to provide these figures.

Frustration over the data gaps was evident; McClintock labeled the absence of answers as “outrageous.” In response, Jaddou cited improvements made by USCIS, including biometric requirements like fingerprints and photos, and system upgrades for fraud detection. “We saw some issues, we took action,” she affirmed.

New Jersey Republican Rep. Jeff Van Drew expressed dissatisfaction with the agency’s backlog, stating that processing green cards takes years. Voicing his frustrations directly to Jaddou, he claimed that the agency’s focus on parole cases detracted from its responsibilities to other legal applicants—a claim Jaddou disputed.