"Safe, Orderly, and Humane" Migration: An Evaluation of the Biden Administration's Use of Humanitarian Parole As an Immigration Tool

One prominent immigration strategy employed by the Biden administration is a tool called "humanitarian parole," which has been controversial due to its perceived illegality. However, my thesis aims to move beyond these legal critiques and answer the question: are Biden's parole policies effective, according to the goals of the administration? Through an analysis of CBP data, I conclude that parole fulfills two stated goals, of deterring illegal entry and re-directing migrants to internal POE. However, interview data illuminates that parole was implemented in such a way that humanitarian relief was unevenly distributed. Lastly, I caution the Biden administration against an understanding of parole as an alternative to asylum or refugee resettlement, given parole's revocability. While parole can be a useful immigration strategy, future administrations should take care to implement it evenly and in combination with other tools whenever possible.