Supreme Court ruling on humanitarian parole leaves some immigrants in Utah feeling hopeless

SALT LAKE CITY — Immigration attorneys in Utah are saying their clients are feeling uncertain after the Supreme Court cleared the way for humanitarian parole protections to end for immigrants from four countries.

On Friday, the Supreme Court ruled that humanitarian parole protections can be removed for over 500,000 people from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela.

Immigration attorney Sergio Garcia said he’s had calls all month from clients who have been worried about their status. After Friday morning’s ruling, he said many are starting to feel hopeless.

Garcia said the parole allowed many of them to get work visas that allowed them to work and open businesses, something many might give up on now.

Immigration attorney Carlos Trujillo said it’s hard to understand where the justices are coming from after the U.S. government already promised these people two years in the country without fear of deportation.

“For the US government to pull the rug like this, it doesn’t match with the values of this country,” Trujillo said.

Trujillo said several of his clients feel paralyzed since they don’t know what might happen next.

“These were legal pathways for people to be doing the right thing; to pay taxes, to have a work permit. So what is to say that another legal, lawful way might just be taken away a week from now?”

He said all they can do now is apply for asylum, but many might not get that done in time since it is a very complicated process.