US Announces New Immigration Program for Ecuadorians

Ecuadorians who are already a citizen or permanent resident can now sponsor immediate family members abroad to come into the United States legally.

Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas speaks during the daily news briefing at the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House on May 11, 2023. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

A new legal immigration pathway for immigrants from Ecuador has been implemented by the Biden administration to help slow the influx of illegal immigrants trekking to enter the United States at its border with Mexico.

According to the Department of Homeland Security, Family Reunification Parole (FRP) allows U.S-based Ecuadorians to sponsor immediate family members abroad to come into the country legally.

Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas said the FRP process will open up new pathways for legal immigration and reduce the number of people making the dangerous journey from Ecuador using people smugglers.

“Establishing this process for certain Ecuadorian nationals will ensure more families can access lawful pathways rather than placing themselves at the mercy of smugglers to make the dangerous journey,” he said.

“Those who do not avail themselves of family reunification parole or other lawful, safe, and orderly pathways, and attempt to enter the United States unlawfully will continue to face tough consequences.”

Hundreds of illegal immigrants seeking asylum in line for Immigration Customs Enforcement appointments outside of the Jacob K. Javits Federal Building in New York City on June 6, 2023. David Dee Delgado/Getty Images

To qualify, an Ecuadorian must have a family member who is already a citizen or permanent resident to sponsor him or her for an immigrant visa. If approved, officials will invite the applicant to enter the United States under the humanitarian parole authority without waiting for a visa.

Under the new FRP process, qualifying applicants must be outside the United States at the time of application and go through all the usual screening, vetting, and medical requirements. Anyone who has already received an immigrant visa isn’t eligible.

As part of the FRP, migrants can remain in the United States for up to three years, apply for work permits while they wait for an immigrant visa, and then apply to become a lawful permanent resident.

The process is being touted as much faster than the family-based visa system, which is nearly permanently backlogged and capped at a specific number. The FRP already includes eligible nationals from Cuba, Haiti, Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras.

Unvetted immigrants prepare to be transported by bus to processing facilities in Yuma, Ariz., on May 18, 2023. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

Illegal entry into the United States is classed as a federal crime and can attract penalties such as deportation and bans on reentry into the country.

Chaos in Ecuador Driving Up Emigrant Numbers

Ecuador previously had its own immigration crisis, as millions fled socialist Venezuela to escape hyperinflation and extreme poverty in the once-wealthy nation. In recent years, Ecuadorians have also been fleeing their country in huge numbers because of a struggling economy and a massive uptick in violent crimes from drug cartels and street gangs.

In July, Ecuador’s president, Guillermo Lasso, was forced to declare a state of emergency and night curfews in three coastal provinces after a wave of violence swept through the country, leaving at least eight dead.

Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso walks on the day of his annual report to the nation, a week after dissolving the National Assembly and calling for early elections in Quito, Ecuador, on May 24, 2023. Karen Toro/Reuters

Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio was gunned down on Aug. 9 while leaving a political rally. The six men accused of the crime were killed in prison while awaiting the results of the investigation into the crime.

The State Department has advised Americans not to visit certain areas of the country because of heightened risks of kidnapping, assault, and murder.

The ongoing chaos has seen record numbers of Ecuadorians attempt to flee to safer countries. Federal data show that Border Patrol has apprehended nearly 99,000 Ecuadorians who entered the United States without authorization in the past 12 months.