The Trump administration has implemented policy changes resulting in a reduction of legal pathways for immigrants in the United States. In the first 11 months of the Trump presidency, over 1.6 million immigrants lost their legal status, a figure that includes individuals accepted into various immigration parole, visa, asylum, and temporary protected status programs. Some immigration advocates suggest this number may be an undercount.
Administration Perspectives
Todd Schulte, president of FWD.us, an immigration advocacy organization, stated that these were "legal pathways" which the government "preemptively revoked." He also indicated that no prior president has prioritized revoking work authorization and legal status for millions. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services spokesperson Matthew Tragesser commented that "The American taxpayer will no longer bear the financial burden of unlawfully present aliens."
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced the pausing of the diversity visa lottery program, citing a 2017 program recipient accused of a deadly shooting. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated the administration has "done more to limit migration, both illegal and legal, than any administration in history" and that "Having a visa in the United States is not a right. It is a privilege."
Specific Program Alterations and Cancellations
- Humanitarian Parole: Hours after inauguration, an executive order was signed to eliminate a program established by the Biden administration, which had temporarily allowed the entry of 530,000 migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. This decision was later upheld by the Supreme Court, making individuals potentially eligible for deportation.
- Temporary Protected Status (TPS): This status offers deportation protection and work permits to individuals from countries affected by conflict, natural disasters, or instability. Since January, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has terminated TPS for 10 countries. The termination for approximately 3,800 Syrians is currently stalled in court, and lawsuits have also affected Venezuela's TPS designation, with some beneficiaries retaining status until October 2026. The administration maintains that parole programs are intended to be temporary, while advocates argue that conditions in designated countries must demonstrably improve for terminations to occur. DHS has offered monetary incentives and a 60-day notice for individuals to leave the country following a TPS termination.
- CBP One Program: The CBP One mobile app, which facilitated appointments for migrants to seek asylum from within the U.S., was ended earlier this year. From 2023 to January 2025, over 936,000 individuals were allowed entry through this mechanism. Following its cancellation, some migrants who had used the app received notifications to depart.
- Visa Revocations: The State Department has revoked 85,000 visas across all categories this year, including over 8,000 student visas. DUI offenses, assaults, and theft were cited as primary reasons for these revocations, accounting for nearly half of the total.
- Family Reunification Parole: The administration moved to cancel the Family Reunification Parole program for 14,000 individuals, predominantly from Central and South America. This program had aimed to simplify the process for individuals with family-based petitions to remain in the U.S. while their immigration cases proceeded.
Upcoming Program Expirations
Several thousand more migrants face potential program expirations in the coming year. TPS designations for El Salvador, Lebanon, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen are set to expire. The Uniting for Ukraine parole program, which allowed approximately 100,000 Ukrainians to enter the U.S., along with TPS for Ukrainians, is also scheduled to expire next year unless renewed. The Uniting for Ukraine program was temporarily paused earlier this year before being resumed.