MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — A picture of a dream come true now feels crushed for Maria.
“You know, no more Christmases together, no more birthdays together,” she said. “It’s been very, very sad.”
Maria asked that only her middle name be used to protect her identity, even though she is legally in the United States.
She is one of tens of thousands of immigrants who entered the country under the Family Reunification Parole program, a federal initiative designed to provide a legal pathway for families separated by borders.
“You think because you did things the right way, it wasn’t going to impact you,” Maria said.
The program, expanded during the Biden administration, applied to people from countries including Cuba, Haiti, Honduras and other Latin American nations.
It allowed approved immigrants to enter the U.S. legally while pursuing permanent residency or citizenship.
Each participant had to be petitioned by a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident family member and undergo federal background checks. Maria was petitioned by her U.S. citizen parents and arrived in the U.S. in 2023.
But just days before Christmas, the Trump administration announced it would end the Family Reunification Parole program, arguing it had been abused and allowed poorly vetted immigrants to bypass traditional parole procedures.
As a result, thousands of immigrants who entered the country legally under the program have been told they must leave the U.S. by Jan. 14.
“Does Maria have a criminal record? No. Is Maria a threat to national security? No. Is Maria unvetted? No,” said immigration attorney Saman Movassaghi Gonzalez.
Gonzalez said the administration’s actions contradict the stated focus of immigration enforcement.
“This is not who the agenda was focused on during this entire cry for mass deportation,” she said.
Critics argue the move is harsh and aimed at meeting deportation targets rather than addressing genuine public safety concerns.
Maria said she followed every rule and trusted the system.
“I did things the right way,” she said.
Now, she and thousands of others are left waiting, uncertain whether the dream they were promised will be taken away for good.
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