Limiting Migration Leaves 1.6 Million Legal Immigrants at Risk in 2025

The Trump administration’s unprecedented crackdown on immigration has led not only to more than 600,000 deportations this year but also to the revocation of legal status for an estimated 1.6 million immigrants who had entered the United States through lawful channels. These individuals, who came through various programs including visas, parole, asylum, and refugee admissions, now face uncertainty and the constant threat of deportation, placing them in a legal limbo. Immigration advocates say this is the largest effort in U.S. history to strip legal protections from immigrants who followed government procedures. Todd Schulte, president of the immigration advocacy group FWD.us, criticized the move, saying that people who complied with all requirements are now being unfairly targeted.

Among the affected programs is CBP One, a Biden-era parole initiative that allowed migrants to apply for asylum appointments at U.S. ports of entry while waiting in Mexico. Between 2023 and January 2025, more than 936,000 people were admitted through this program. Many, like Venezuelan barber Grebi Suarez, have recently received work permits and Social Security numbers, yet continue to live in anxiety as friends and acquaintances face deportation notices. Humanitarian parole programs for migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela have also been canceled. Beneficiaries of these programs, who must have a sponsor, rely entirely on personal support, as sponsors cover all expenses without government aid.

Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, has been revoked for nearly 700,000 people, most of whom are Venezuelans. TPS was intended to protect nationals from countries experiencing conflict, natural disasters, or political instability. Meanwhile, the State Department has canceled over 85,000 visas, including more than 8,000 student visas, citing reasons ranging from criminal offenses to conduct considered inconsistent with American values. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt emphasized that visas are privileges, not rights, and can be revoked if deemed contrary to U.S. national interests.

Advocates warn that decades of congressional inaction on immigration reform have given the administration free rein to eliminate programs it sees as unnecessary. Experts describe this widespread revocation of legal status as unprecedented, and many predict further deportations and cancellations in 2026. Ukrainians who entered under the Uniting for Ukraine program and TPS holders from multiple countries are especially concerned about losing legal protections in the coming year. As a result, millions of legal immigrants now face heightened anxiety and uncertainty about their future in the United States.