Humanitarian Parole: DHS Identified Fraud Risks in Parole Processes for Noncitizens and Should Assess Lessons Learned

What GAO Found

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) began granting parole-temporary permission to stay in the U.S.-to certain eligible noncitizens through its supporter-based parole processes in May 2022. From that time through September 2024, DHS granted parole to about 774,000 noncitizens across three supporter-based processes: Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans (CHNV), Uniting for Ukraine (U4U), and family reunification parole (see figure).

Grants of Supporter-Based Parole, May 2022-September 2024

Shortly after U4U began, the DHS components responsible for implementing the parole processes-U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)-identified fraud risks and other vulnerabilities. Subsequently, a July 2024 USCIS review found that fraud indicators were widespread in U4U and CHNV. USCIS attributed these risks to insufficient internal controls in its supporter vetting process-for example, not having automated processes to prevent or detect possible fraudulent activity. DHS has since suspended or terminated the processes. However, USCIS has not developed an internal control plan for new or changed programs in the future. Such a plan could include basic antifraud controls and mechanisms to help proactively identify and mitigate fraud risks.

In addition, DHS faced other challenges implementing the parole processes, including limited staffing and resources, inconsistent review of the reasons for beneficiaries requesting parole, and supporters not upholding their commitments to beneficiaries. DHS agencies began taking some corrective actions, but DHS has not assessed lessons learned from the parole processes that it could apply to other efforts, such as lessons related to the use of temporarily assigned staff. By assessing and applying lessons learned from the parole processes, even if the processes have ended, DHS could improve other areas of its operations and thus be better positioned to avoid similar challenges in the future.

Prior to January 2025, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which is responsible for enforcing U.S. immigration laws, did not have enforcement guidance focused specifically on parole beneficiaries, according to ICE officials. After January 2025, in alignment with new presidential administration executive orders and DHS policies, ICE instructed its officers to review each noncitizen case they encounter and determine whether any noncitizen's parole status should be terminated. As of May 2025, ICE officials said that ICE did not have any nationwide enforcement efforts for paroled noncitizens and that its field offices determined any such actions on a case-by-case basis.

Why GAO Did This Study

In 2022 and 2023, DHS introduced new processes for humanitarian parole in response to increases in noncitizens arriving at the southwest border. The processes allowed eligible noncitizens from certain countries to travel to the U.S. to seek a grant of parole. To be eligible, noncitizens had to have a U.S.-based supporter apply to financially support them. DHS briefly suspended some of the processes in summer 2024 before restarting them. Then, in January 2025, following an executive order, DHS suspended all of the processes.

GAO was asked to review DHS's administration and oversight of these parole processes. This report addresses (1) what DHS data show about supporter-based parole processes; (2) challenges that existed, and the extent to which DHS addressed them; and (3) DHS's approach for taking enforcement actions against parole beneficiaries, as appropriate. GAO analyzed USCIS, CBP, and ICE documents and data on the parole processes from 2022 to 2025. GAO also (1) visited four U.S. airports where large numbers of noncitizens seeking parole arrived and (2) interviewed USCIS, CBP, and ICE officials from headquarters and field offices.