The programme was launched under Democratic President Joe Biden in 2022, first covering Venezuelans before it was expanded to other countries.

It allowed the migrants and their immediate family members to fly into the US if they had American sponsors and remain for two years under a temporary immigration status known as parole.

The Biden administration had argued that CHNV would help curb illegal border crossings at the southern US border and allow for better vetting of those entering the country.

The Department of Homeland Security on Friday rebuked the prior administration and said the program had failed in its goals.

The agency’s statement said Biden officials “granted migrants opportunities to compete for American jobs and undercut American workers; forced career civil servants to promote the programs even when fraud was identified; and then blamed Republicans in Congress for the chaos that ensued and the crime that followed”.

However, the 35-page notice in the Federal Register said some of those in the US under CHNV might be allowed to remain on a “case-by-case basis”.

Trump is also considering whether to cancel the temporary legal status of some 240,000 Ukrainians who fled to the US during the conflict with Russia.

CHNV helped a reported 213,000 Haitians enter the US amid deteriorating conditions in the Caribbean country.

More than 120,700 Venezuelans, 110,900 Cubans and over 93,000 Nicaraguans were also allowed into the US under the programme before Trump shut it down.

Last month, DHS announced it would in August end another immigration designation, temporary protected status (TPS), for 500,000 Haitians living in the US.

TPS was granted to nationals of designated countries facing unsafe conditions, such as armed conflict or environmental disasters.

DHS also halted TPS for Venezuelans in the US, although this is facing a legal challenge.

Since taking office in January, Trump’s immigration policies have encountered a number of legal hurdles.

[BBC]

Surrounded by children seated at school desks in the White House on Thursday, Trump said “the US spends more money on education by far than any other country”, yet he added that students rank near the bottom of the list.

The White House stated that his administration would move to cut parts of the department that remain within legal boundaries.

The executive order is likely to face legal challenges, like many of the Trump administration’s efforts to shrink the size of the federal government.

At the signing ceremony, Trump praised Linda McMahon, whom he appointed to lead the department, and expressed his hope she would be the last secretary of education.

He said he would find “something else” for her to do within the administration.

After Trump signed the order, Louisiana Republican Senator Bill Cassidy announced plans to bring legislation aimed at closing the department.

But Republicans hold a slim 53-47 majority in the Senate, and closing a federal department would require 60 votes, making such a goal a longshot.

But even if the department is not formally closed, the Trump administration could decimate its funding and staff as it has done with the US Agency for International Development (USAID), which subsequently stopped many of its programmes and humanitarian work.

The text of the executive order does not include specifics on what actions the administration will take and which programmes might be axed.

It orders McMahon to “take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure” of the department and give authority of such matters to state and local governments.

It also directs her to ensure “the effective and uninterrupted delivery of services, programs, and benefits on which Americans rely”.

Established in 1979, the education department administers student loans and runs programmes that help low-income students.

But Trump has accused it of indoctrinating young people with racial, sexual, and political material.

Most US children attend public schools, which are free and run by local officials. A common misconception is that the federal education department operates US schools and sets curriculum, but that is primarily done by states and local districts.

And a relatively small percentage of funding for primary and secondary schools – about 13% – comes from federal funds. Most of the money comes from state and local taxes.

The agency also plays a prominent role in administering and overseeing the federal student loans used by millions of Americans to pay for higher education.