A federal judge on Monday halted the termination of protections that have allowed approximately 350,000 Haitians to reside in the United States, presenting another legal setback to President Donald Trump’s immigration agenda. U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes in Washington granted a request to delay the end of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians while a lawsuit challenging it moves forward. Reyes declared the planned termination for Tuesday as invalid. In an 83-page ruling, Reyes indicated that the plaintiffs were likely to succeed in the case and suggested that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem may have made the termination decision with racial bias.
While the ruling provides temporary relief for Haitians, the future legal proceedings remain uncertain. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin criticized the ruling as “lawless activism,” emphasizing that the TPS for Haiti was initially granted after a previous earthquake and was not meant to be an amnesty program. The TPS status for Haiti was established in 2010 following a devastating earthquake and has been extended multiple times due to ongoing issues like gang violence.
The judge, appointed by former President Joe Biden, highlighted that Secretary Noem needed to consider input from other agencies regarding conditions in Haiti before making the termination decision. The TPS designation is provided when conditions in a home country are deemed unsafe due to various factors, allowing individuals to live and work in the U.S. without a direct path to citizenship. The ruling also criticized Noem for not consulting with key officials before terminating protections for Haitians. In response to the ruling, advocates expressed relief but emphasized the need for a more permanent solution for TPS holders facing uncertainty.
The Trump administration has been actively working to remove temporary protections for various groups, aiming to increase the number of individuals eligible for deportation. Noem has also revoked protections for individuals from other countries, including Venezuelans, Hondurans, Nicaraguans, Nepalese, Ukrainians, Afghans, and Cameroonians, leading to legal challenges in some instances. This ongoing legal battle underscores the complexities surrounding immigration policy in the United States.