The official said that, in some instances, Mayorkas is using his parole authority to allow Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) applicants who are in the pipeline but who haven’t completed the application process to potentially be given parole.

“The Secretary of Homeland Security is using his parole authority, including his ability to impose particular conditions of parole on those arriving, to ensure that those who are reaching here are doing so obviously with the appropriate legal status,” the official said.

Those who are granted parole would need to first pass a rigorous security check the Biden administration is undertaking for Afghans seeking to enter the U.S. The administration is transporting evacuees to transit centers in third-party countries where they are undergoing security checks.