The US will allow 100,000 Latin Americans to reunite with their families

Title 42 has come to an end.
The US government is preparing for a surge of immigrants.
At least 100,000 Latin Americans will be eligible for family reunification.

The end of Title 42 has been an important issue these days for the Biden administration. Today they announced great news for Latin American migrants, as many will be allowed to enter the US to reunite with their families.

This plan was announced after Title 42 ended on Thursday, May 10 as the COVID-19 emergency was terminated. Now the US government has good news for some migrants.

The US will allow at least 100,000 Latin Americans to apply for family reunification parole

The US will allow at least 100,000 Latin Americans to enter the country — PHOTO: AP

As the Biden administration prepares for the end of asylum restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, it offers some new legal options for people, especially families, to come to the United States.

The government has said it will admit at least 100,000 Latin Americans seeking to reunite with family in the United States, but has released almost no details. The plan was announced as restrictions tied to a public health policy, known as Title 42, expired Thursday.

How can you apply for family reunification parole?

The US allows entry to Latin Americans, how can you request the permit? — PHOTO: AP

During a recent visit to the border city of Brownsville, Texas, US Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas said people would be able to request permission to join their families in the United States at regional processing centers. The government plans to open 100 such centers throughout the Western Hemisphere, with the first starting in Guatemala and Colombia.

The centers will handle applications for family reunification parole, Mayorkas said, along with applications for the US refugee program and humanitarian parole for those deemed particularly vulnerable, which are decided on a case-by-case basis.

Who will be eligible?

The new family reunification parole program is for immigrants from Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador and Colombia who are US citizens or lawful permanent residents and who have obtained approval of their petitions to bring immediate family members.

The US government said eligible people will receive an invitation to participate. The government will provide advance travel authorization for approved individuals and individuals will be eligible to apply for authorization to work in the United States while they wait for their immigrant visas. The administration said more information will be released in mid-June.

Why only 100,000 people?

It is unclear why the administration has said it intends to welcome only 100,000 people from Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador under family reunification parole processes, reports AP.

Julia Gelatt of the Immigration Policy Center said US State Department data shows that at least 284,000 Latin Americans have filed family sponsorship petitions. That includes 78,000 Salvadorans and up to 57,000 Hondurans, 58,000 Guatemalans and 56,000 Colombians.