In a quiet corner of the Texas Panhandle, a small act of compassion is being met with fear and uncertainty.
Kimberly Snelgrooes opened her home to a woman and her young son from Haiti—fleeing one of the most dangerous countries in the world—through the U.S. humanitarian parole program. The pair arrived legally, with sponsorship, community support, and the hope of building a safe life.
Now, that hope is in jeopardy.
The family recently received notice that their parole is being revoked under a policy change originally enacted during the Trump administration. The rollback targets immigrants from Haiti, Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela, effectively ending humanitarian protections for many who followed all legal procedures to seek refuge in the United States.
For the mother and son, the consequences are immediate and deeply personal: the very real possibility of being returned to a country engulfed in violence and instability.
“They’ve done everything right,” said one concerned observer familiar with the case. “They’re part of the community, they’ve followed the rules, and now they’re being told that none of that matters.”
Humanitarian parole has long been used by the U.S. government to offer temporary safety to individuals facing urgent threats in their home countries. While the program is discretionary, it has historically been a tool of compassion—offering a lifeline to families in crisis.
The reversal of that protection has sent shockwaves through the Panhandle town, where residents are grappling with what it means to live out American values of hospitality and justice when federal policy fails to reflect them.
Local supporters of the family say they are working to raise awareness, hoping that shining a light on one small town’s story can help prevent further harm.
As the debate over immigration policy continues at the national level, the fallout is being felt in real homes and real communities—like Panhandle, Texas—where lives hang in the balance.
Texas Reporter 