The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) should review the possibility of granting parole-in-place to Cubans who are languishing in “legal limbo” after being released into the United States under Form I-220A, says U.S. Rep. María Elvira Salazar (R-FL).
Form I-220A, an official U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement document, is issued to migrants who are released into the U.S. from federal custody, generally after processing at the border. The form documents a person’s release into the country and it means a person has an open case in immigration court to determine if he or she will be allowed to stay or be deported.
The congresswoman sent a June 16 letter to DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin urging him to take action on behalf of Cubans who have no criminal record but were released under Form 1-220A, and to ensure they are treated fairly and consistently under the Cuban Adjustment Act.
“I have fought for these families since I came to Congress, and now I’m asking Secretary Mullin to finally process these cases and give these Cubans the fair shot at freedom they’ve been waiting years for,” Rep. Salazar said in a June 17 statement.
In her letter, Rep. Salazar argues that the inconsistent treatment of Cuban nationals who arrived at the U.S. border has created a two-tiered system in which some individuals were granted parole while others, including members of the same family, were issued I-220A despite arriving under similar circumstances.
“For years, the Biden administration left thousands of Cuban families in legal limbo, granting some parole while issuing others an I-220A for the exact same circumstances,” said Rep. Salazar. “That was never fairness, and it was never what the Cuban Adjustment Act was meant to do.”
This disparity has divided families, left thousands without a clear pathway to permanent residency, and forced many to pursue unnecessary asylum claims that place additional strain on an already overburdened immigration court system, she wrote.
She also pointed out that many Cubans with I-220A are medical professionals, entrepreneurs, and skilled workers who have integrated into their communities.
“This is a matter of fairness, compassion, and adherence to the law,” wrote the lawmaker.