The Biden administration is reopening an immigration program that allows migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela to come to the United States. This initiative includes additional vetting of their U.S.-based financial sponsors following concerns of potential fraud.

Earlier this month, the Department of Homeland Security had suspended the program to investigate these concerns but has since found no widespread fraud among sponsors after an internal review.

The program was launched in January 2023 and is a significant part of the Biden administration’s immigration policies, aiming to create or expand pathways for legal entry while restricting asylum for those who cross the border illegally.

Under the program, the U.S. accepts up to 30,000 people a month from the four countries for two years, offering eligibility for work authorization. To qualify, migrants must have a financial sponsor in the U.S. who vouches for them and fly into an American airport at their own expense instead of crossing at the southern border.

Republicans have criticized the program as bypassing immigration laws. They raised concerns about the vetting process but the Department of Homeland Security has stated that migrants coming to the U.S. under the program have been thoroughly screened and vetted.

The agency has implemented additional vetting procedures for sponsors, including more scrutiny of financial records, criminal backgrounds, fingerprint submissions, and steps to identify fraudulent sponsors.

Since the program’s inception, a minimal number of supporters were found to have fraud or criminal issues, but the majority had reasonable explanations. Homeland Security emphasized that the vetting process of migrants themselves has not raised any red flags.

Concerns about sponsors seeking quick profits have arisen, with reports of fraudulent activities surfacing in various online platforms. Despite these challenges, the program has seen over 520,000 arrivals from the four countries.

The restart of the program signals a renewed effort by the Biden administration to navigate complex immigration issues while upholding security and integrity in the process.