A father shared the emotional moment when the plane carrying his son, a young man benefiting from humanitarian parole, took off from Cuban soil. "My son is on that beautiful plane heading straight to the United States of America," the man said.
Cuban journalist residing in the U.S., Daniel Benítez, shared the short video. The identities of the father and his son have not been disclosed. "Another young Cuban entering the U.S. under humanitarian parole. This is how his father saw him off. He had a travel permit since June," Benítez posted on Facebook.
This young man was nearly unable to emigrate, despite having all his documents in order. At the beginning of August, the U.S. government temporarily suspended travel permits for beneficiaries of the humanitarian parole program. The measure came after an internal report revealed significant levels of fraud, according to a spokesperson from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
They stated that "as a precaution," the issuance of advance travel authorizations for the program was suspended from mid-July. The U.S. government is now meticulously reviewing applications from sponsors, where the focus of the fraud issue lies.
The short video of the Cuban father bidding farewell to his son has garnered numerous interactions and messages congratulating the young man for emigrating with humanitarian parole to the U.S. "Congratulations and blessings for your son. I saw my son leave twelve years ago, and I am still waiting to hug and kiss him someday," a mother confessed in the comments.
Data from the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) indicates that more than 106,000 Cubans received approval to travel to the United States from the start of the humanitarian parole program in January 2023 until June 2024.
Humanitarian Parole Program for Cubans: Key Questions Answered
Given the growing interest and complexities surrounding the humanitarian parole program for Cubans, here are some frequently asked questions and their answers.
What is humanitarian parole?
Humanitarian parole is a program that allows individuals to enter the United States temporarily for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit.
Why was the issuance of travel permits suspended?
The U.S. government suspended the issuance of travel permits due to an internal report revealing significant levels of fraud within the program.
How many Cubans have benefited from the humanitarian parole program?
More than 106,000 Cubans have been approved to travel to the United States under the humanitarian parole program from January 2023 to June 2024.