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More than 200 workers at a JBS meatpacking plant in Ottumwa were informed that their legal status has been revoked. Republican Rep. Zach Nunn, who represents Ottumwa, says the workers were in Iowa through the CHNV parole program — a federal program that allowed individuals from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua or Venezuela to enter the United States with temporary legal status and gain work authorization.Jody Mashek, co-legal director of the Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice, said work visas are "entirely different" from work authorization under the CHNV parole program.“The CHNV program was a special program announced under the Biden administration that allowed individuals who qualify from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua or Venezuela to be paroled into the United States, a kind of, essentially form of entry, and then, have work authorization,” said Mashek.The Trump administration ended the program, and the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that individuals under CHNV can be deported while the court considers a broader legal challenge.“What has happened is people had valid work permits as a result of that special parole program, and the work permits, I would say on paper that they’re still valid, but because the current administration has ended the program, they no longer have that work authorization,” Mashek said.“They had permission to be here. They are working lawfully. And it was basically suddenly yanked away from them,” she added.In a statement, JBS said it "is not telling people what to do.""We are simply informing them that we have been made aware of their change in status. If those employees are unable to present evidence of ongoing/reverified work authorization then we are required to terminate their employment,” a JBS spokesperson said.Rep. Nunn said the CHNV program needed correction.“This is a rightsizing of where the original policy under the Biden administration fell short,” Nunn said. “I’ve been very committed to making sure the administration knows how important our visa program is and needing to be fixed. That means that our front-line visa operators who work at places like the Ottumwa meatpacking plant, to working in ag in Iowa, to working also in everything from traveling nurses in rural communities to our students who come here to study, get the opportunity to stay here afterwards.”Nunn and JBS both said there will not be an impact on production. “JBS has also noted in the Ottumwa community that all of those open positions are now on the pathway to be rehired. So, we should not see, you know, a shortage of workforce in the Ottumwa area, which I think is really important for our rural communities,” Nunn said. “Now, I want to say the good news is, and working with JBS, we’ve worked very closely to make sure that there is no slowdown in production, either for the sellers who are taking their meat to market or for the buyers. We want to make sure that they have great quality meats, but in an affordable cost for a family," he added.Mashek said the impact on the community will still be significant. “Who is going to fill hundreds of jobs at these meatpacking plants? Who is going to take over 200 jobs in Ottumwa?” Mashek said. “We do actually need them in the state, whether people like it or not. They are members of our community, and the impact is widespread and significant on all sides.”She also said the program was never a fast track to the U.S. and did come with extensive security checks. She added that pathways to stay in the U.S. permanently are rare. “If you want to be able to stay in the United States lawfully and permanently, you have to find a way to get your permanent residency, your green card. And most people just do not have a path to that.”“We hope that people are taking the time to join a consultation with an immigration attorney, somebody who specializes in immigration law, to know what options they might have to remain in the U.S.,” she said. “We would really hope that community members, allies, city officials, company officials would help their employees, and their community members do that, access high-quality immigration services to figure out if they have a way to stay.”