New Immigration Path Opens for Central Americans and Colombians to Deter Border Crossings

The Biden administration will launch a new immigration program on July 10th to allow eligible migrants from Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras to enter the U.S. legally and gain work permits if they have relatives who are U.S. citizens or legal residents. The program, called the Family Reunification Parole Process, aims to discourage illegal border crossings by providing a legal pathway for Central Americans and Colombians. The administration has committed to welcoming up to 100,000 Central American migrants under this program, but no timeframe or cap has been provided for Colombian applicants. The program will prioritize family members of U.S. citizens and permanent residents, allowing them to bypass the backlogged visa system.