Family Reunification Parole Is Over: What Options Remain for Families in South LA

If your family came to the United States through the Family Reunification Parole (FRP) program, also known as the CHNV parole program, you need to read this carefully. The program has been terminated. But the legal situation is complicated, and what happens next depends on your specific circumstances.

The Family Reunification Parole program was created in 2023 to allow nationals of Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela, and later extended to other countries including El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, to enter the United States temporarily on parole for up to two years, sponsored by a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident. At its peak, the program was admitting tens of thousands of people per month.

In December 2025, the new administration announced the termination of the FRP program. This means no new parole grants are being issued. For people who were already admitted under FRP, the situation is more complicated. A federal court in January 2026 issued a preliminary injunction temporarily blocking the administration from terminating parole for people who had already been admitted under the program. This injunction protects current FRP parolees while the legal challenge proceeds in court.

What does this mean for your family? If you are currently in the United States on FRP parole and you received the preliminary injunction notice from USCIS, you may be protected from termination of your parole while the court case continues. However, this protection is not permanent. The court could rule against the injunction at any time, and the program's future remains deeply uncertain.

What options remain for FRP parolees? Several alternative pathways may be available depending on your situation. First, family-based immigration: if you have a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident family member who can petition for you, this is often the most viable path. The type of relationship and your priority date determine how long this takes. Second, asylum: if you face persecution in your home country based on race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group, you may qualify for asylum. The one-year deadline from your date of entry is critical, if you were admitted more than one year ago and have not filed for asylum, you need to speak to an attorney immediately. Third, other humanitarian protections: depending on your specific circumstances, other forms of relief may be available, including TPS (Temporary Protected Status) for nationals of certain countries, U visas for crime victims, VAWA for domestic violence survivors, or Special Immigrant Juvenile Status for eligible minors.

The communities most affected by the FRP termination in the South Los Angeles area include large populations of families from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Cuba. Gracie Johnson Law has been working with families from all of these communities since 2023.

If you or a family member entered under FRP and you are unsure of your current status or options, do not wait. Call Gracie Johnson Law at (310) 554-4630 for a confidential consultation. We serve families throughout Compton, Watts, Lynwood, Long Beach, and all of South Los Angeles. Our office is bilingual in English and Spanish.

For more information about family immigration options, see our family immigration page at graciejlaw.com/family-immigration. For deportation defense if your parole is terminated, see graciejlaw.com/deportation-defense.