Map Shows Hotspots for Migrants Flying Into US

More than 200,000 migrants entered the U.S. between January and August 2023 as part of the Cuban, Haitian, Nicaraguan, and Venezuelan (CHNV) program, according to documents obtained by the House Homeland Security Committee.

The documents, obtained by the committee through a subpoena of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), show 50 national airports that have been used in processing immigrants. The CHNV program was announced by the Biden administration on January 5, 2023, as a means of providing "safe and orderly pathways to the United States" for up to 30,000 nationals on a monthly basis.

Among the approximately 200,000 migrants from those countries in that eight-month stretch, about 80 percent of them or 161,562 individuals arrived at Florida-based airports in Miami (91,821), Fort Lauderdale (60,461), Orlando (6,043) and Tampa (3,237)—ranking first, second, fifth and seventh within the top 10 cities with the most newcomers, respectively.

A DHS spokesperson told Newsweek via email that the program's processes are publicly available online, and that DHS has been providing regular updates on their use to the public.

"These processes are part of the Administration's strategy to combine expanded lawful pathways with stronger consequences to reduce irregular migration, and have kept hundreds of thousands of people from migrating irregularly," the spokesperson said. "The CHNV parole processes are public; claims of a secret program are false."

They added: "Through these processes, and if approved after screening and vetting, individuals with advanced travel authorization are responsible for arranging their own travel and for the cost of purchasing their own commercial airline ticket. Beneficiaries are also screened and inspected when arriving at an airport port of entry, where CBP Officers will inspect and consider them for a grant of discretionary parole on a case-by-case basis."

New York City, ranking No. 3, accounted for 14,827 migrants during that time span, followed by Houston at No. 4 with 7,923 migrants.

Los Angeles came in sixth with 3,271 migrants, Dallas in eighth with 2,256 migrants, San Francisco in ninth with 2,052 migrants, and Atlanta finished the top 10 with 1,796 migrants.

Other airports used were located in Newark, New Jersey; Washington D.C.; Chicago, Illinois; Las Vegas, Nevada; and Austin, Texas.

"Biden's parole program is unlawful, and constitutes an abuse of constitutional authority," Jeremy Redfern, spokesperson for Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, told Fox News. "Florida is currently suing Biden to shut it down, and we believe that we will prevail."

Redfern reiterated the same remarks via email to Newsweek.

House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green, a Republican from Tennessee, said in a statement that the documents further implicate DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas as part of what is viewed as a national immigration crisis.

In February, on their second attempt, the House voted 214-213 to impeach Mayorkas. But the vote ultimately failed in the Senate, which voted 51-48, (one senator voted "present") to dismiss the case due to failing to meet the bar of a high crime or misdemeanor.

"Secretary Mayorkas' CHNV parole program is an unlawful sleight of hand used to hide the worsening border crisis from the American people," Green said. "Implementing a program that allows otherwise inadmissible aliens to fly directly into the U.S.––not for significant public benefit or urgent humanitarian reasons as the Immigration and Nationality Act mandates––has been proven an impeachable offense.

"Following our subpoena and the House's impeachment vote––especially in light of the Senate's complete failure to fulfill its duty to hold a trial––the Committee will not rest until this administration is finally held accountable for its open-borders agenda and its devastating impact on our homeland security."

A staffer within the committee told Newsweek via email that Mayorkas "has consistently and willfully abused the clear text of the Immigration and Nationality Act, including the statute that governs parole."

"Parole can only be issued on a case-by-case and temporary basis, for significant public benefit or urgent humanitarian reason," they said. "In past administrations, this was interpreted to mean actions like admitting someone for urgent medical care or to testify in legal proceedings.

"Mass-paroling more than 400,000 individuals from these countries—so far—whom DHS itself has admitted are otherwise inadmissible is inconsistent with the law. Secretary Mayorkas was impeached, in part, for willfully and systemically refusing to comply with the laws passed by Congress. This program, part of the secretary's unprecedented embrace of mass parole, certainly is more evidence the House made the right decision."

"200,000 illegal aliens FLEW into US cities thanks to these illegal categorical parole programs," Texas Representative Chip Roy wrote on X. "Remember: 1.6M foreign nationals are CURRENTLY waiting for approval to ENTER the US under these open border schemes."

The CHNV program was designed to allow certain individuals to enter the U.S., namely those with domestic sponsors and who pass background checks.

But criticism has mounted on the lawfulness of the program and the individuals being accepted into the U.S., notably due to increased numbers of southern border apprehensions involving people from those countries.

U.S. Border Patrol agents at the U.S.-Mexico apprehended 9,822 illegal migrants from Cuba, 4,359 from Haiti, 2,123 from Nicaragua and 1,227 from Venezuela in fiscal year 2020, totaling 17,531.

That number climbed to more than 181,000 the following fiscal year—which included the first months of the Biden administration—and then ballooned to more than 600,000 in fiscal year 2022.