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Thanks to DHS, Thousands of Cubans Denied U.S. Residency
The Board of Immigration Appeals ruled that Cubans released solely on an I-220A document will not be able to obtain permanent U.S. residency under the Cuban Adjustment Act of 1966
The Board of Immigration Appeals has determined that Cuban asylum-seekers released by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) with I-220A documents have not been officially permitted entry into the country nor paroled under the Cuban Adjustment Act. The Act, passed in 1966, allows eligible Cubans to apply for green cards one year and one day after entering the United States — a privilege allowing Cubans to obtain residency much faster than other nationalities.
The decision concluded that receiving an I-220A document is not the same as being granted humanitarian parole and Cubans with the document are not eligible to change their immigration status. Immigration advocates petitioned to have the I-220A status considered a legal entry and in August of 2022, an immigration court granted that judgment. However, the most recent ruling came after the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) appealed that decision.
“In a decision dated August 16, 2022, the Immigration Judge granted the respondents’ application for…
