The Trump administration has announced major changes to U.S. immigration policy, ending several family reunification parole programs and removing temporary legal protections for immigrants from multiple countries. Officials say the decisions are necessary to prevent fraud, protect national security, and return to what they call “common-sense” immigration enforcement.
On Friday, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said it is ending Family Reunification Parole (FRP) programs for immigrants from seven countries: Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, and Honduras. These programs allowed certain immigrants with approved family-based petitions to temporarily enter the United States while waiting for permanent visas.
In a DHS statement, the administration argued that humanitarian parole was being misused. “Parole was never intended to be used in this way,” the department said, adding that the programs allowed “poorly vetted” immigrants to bypass the traditional immigration system. DHS said it will return parole decisions to a case-by-case basis, as originally intended by Congress.
While acknowledging that the programs helped families reunite, DHS said those benefits do not outweigh concerns about fraud, abuse, and national security. The Federal Register notice stated that after reviewing the programs as a whole, the administration determined that ending them better aligns with President Trump’s executive orders and immigration priorities.
Alongside the changes to family reunification programs, the administration is also ending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Ethiopian nationals living in the United States. TPS is a humanitarian program that allows people from countries affected by war, natural disasters, or other crises to live and work in the U.S. temporarily without fear of deportation.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Ethiopia no longer meets the requirements for TPS, citing improvements in country conditions and peace agreements signed in recent years. As a result, about 5,000 Ethiopians will have 60 days, until early February 2026, to leave the country voluntarily or find another legal way to stay. Those who remain without legal status could face arrest and deportation.
The decision has drawn criticism because the U.S. State Department still warns Americans to reconsider travel to Ethiopia due to ongoing violence, crime, and instability in several regions. Critics also point out that DHS acknowledged continued “sporadic and episodic violence” in the country, raising concerns about the safety of returning migrants.
The termination of Ethiopian TPS is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to roll back immigration protections. Since returning to office, President Trump has ended or moved to end TPS for people from Haiti, Venezuela, Somalia, South Sudan, Syria, and other countries. He has made immigration enforcement a central part of his national security strategy, aiming to deport millions of people and limit both legal and illegal immigration.
Supporters of the policy say it restores order to the immigration system and discourages abuse. Opponents argue that it unfairly targets vulnerable communities and ignores humanitarian realities. Legal challenges to several TPS terminations are ongoing, with some cases temporarily blocked by courts.
Together, the end of family reunification parole programs and the rollback of temporary protections signal a sharper, more restrictive approach to immigration under President Trump—one that continues to spark intense political and public debate across the country.