The Biden administration is considering a new program for Venezuelan immigrants to apply to arrive at U.S. ports of entry, such as an airport, instead of crossing the southern border illegally if they have a pre-existing tie to the U.S., according to four people familiar with the matter.  with discussions.   

  The proposal comes amid an influx of immigrants from those nationalities at the US-Mexico border, straining federal resources and border towns.  In August, 55,333 migrants encountered at the border were from Venezuela, Cuba or Nicaragua, a 175 percent increase from last August, according to the Department of Homeland Security.   

  The plan is intended to serve as an expanded and more regular process.  If the immigrants meet the criteria and are approved, they will be paroled into the U.S. at an airport with the ability to also work legally.   

  Mexico is also expected to take in several Venezuelans under the Trump-era pandemic emergency rule, known as Title 42, which allows authorities to turn away migrants at the US-Mexico border, according to two sources.   

  Administration officials have been addressing mass migration across the Western Hemisphere for months, stressing the need for all countries to help stem the flow and create better conditions at home.  The issue came up again last week at a meeting of foreign ministers in Lima, Peru.   

  Changing demographics – with many of the immigrants now from Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua – is uniquely difficult for the US given, in part, frosty relations with those nations that largely prevent the administration from removing people from these countries.   

  The proposal under consideration is an acknowledgment of the reality that Venezuelans are largely released to the US while going through immigration processes and, in some cases, having family or friends with whom they are joining the country.   

  CNN has reached out to the White House for comment.   

  The Biden administration has taken a similar approach to the one being considered with Ukrainians leaving their war-torn country, allowing them to enter the United States as well as the ability to work for a temporary period.  This program was created to prevent Ukrainians from entering the US-Mexico border and going through regular processing.   

  Poor economic conditions, food shortages and limited access to health care are increasingly pushing Venezuelans to flee – posing an urgent and sharp challenge to the administration as thousands arrive at the southern US border.   

  More than 6 million Venezuelans have fled their country amid worsening conditions, equaling Ukraine in the number of displaced and surpassing Syria, according to the United Nations.  More than 1,000 Venezuelans are arrested along the US-Mexico border every day, according to a Homeland Security official.   

  Venezuelans arrested at the U.S.-Mexico border are generally paroled in the U.S. and released under an Immigration and Customs Enforcement program that tracks people using GPS ankle monitors, phones or an app while going through immigration procedures.  But the latest proposal is expected to adopt a more organized approach.   

  The jump in Venezuelans moving to the hemisphere came during a White House meeting last month with 19 Western Hemisphere nations, a senior administration official told CNN.   

  “We’re finding that the lack of coordination is leading to the exploitation of more immigrants,” the senior administration official said.  “There is a consensus that there is value in working more closely together and trying to synchronize our policies.”   

  This story has been updated with additional information on Tuesday.