Nearly 150 GE Appliance Park workers told to self-deport after Trump ends Biden-era program

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Nearly 150 employees at GE Appliance Park were told by federal authorities they could no longer work in the U.S., leaving them out of a job, the company confirmed.

That represents about 2% of GE Appliance Parks' workforce.

Most of the impacted workers were part of the CHNV program, a President Joe Biden-era humanitarian parole policy allowing people from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela to stay in the U.S. for up to two years. More than half a million people participated in the program nationwide.

In June, President Donald Trump's administration ended the program. Participants received emails calling them "poorly vetted aliens" and instructing them to self-deport.

Frank Raymond, an economics professor at Bellarmine University, said the sudden workforce changes could create challenges for businesses.

"It'll be a little bit more difficult for businesses to find the workers with the skills that they need," Raymond said.

Immigration advocacy group FWD.us said CHNV workers played a key role in stabilizing the U.S. economy after COVID by filling jobs and helping restore supply chains. Raymond added that the broader economic effects of large-scale deportations remain uncertain.

"It's too soon to tell. All this stuff takes so much time to work its way through the economy," he said.

GE Appliances said it has worked with the union to help employees navigate their status. Nine of the 148 workers have already been rehired, and extra staff on hand filled other openings. The company said its operations include 8–10% additional employees to cover planned and unplanned absences, helping minimize disruptions.

A company spokesperson emphasized that less than 2% of GE Appliances' U.S. workforce has been affected by immigration status changes, and approximately 3–4% of employees on the line are immigrants.

GE said employees whose status changes and can provide proof of continued work authorization may return if a position opens for up to three years, provided they meet other employment requirements.

"We value each of our team members and invest in training, which makes any attrition something we work to minimize," the company said in a statement.

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