A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration from shutting down a program introduced under Biden that offered temporary legal entry and work permits to migrants from four nations.
The initiative, established by then-President Joe Biden, enabled over 500,000 individuals from Venezuela, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Cuba to enter the U.S. under humanitarian parole, according to the Miami Herald.
On Monday, Judge Indira Talwani of the U.S. District Court in Massachusetts ruled that those admitted under the program could remain in the country as they pursue legal immigration status.
The decision prevents Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem from ending the parole designations for these migrants, a move the administration had scheduled for April 24.
“While [Trump administration officials] are correct that the Secretary’s discretion in this area is broad, their conclusion that the Secretary’s actions are wholly shielded from judicial review is incorrect,” wrote Talwani in her 41-page decision filed in federal court in Boston.
Talwani acknowledged that her ability to intervene in DHS policy is restricted, but emphasized that she has grounds to halt the revocation of parole in this case because “it revokes, without case-by-case review, previously granted parole and work authorizations for individuals currently in the United States.”
The administration had announced plans late last month to phase out the policy, which allowed eligible migrants—if they passed background checks and secured a sponsor—to travel to the U.S. and gain quick work approval, according to The New York Times.
Those who were admitted could stay for a period of up to two years, with an option for extension.
This ruling affects an estimated 532,000 people who have arrived from the designated countries since October 2022.
In the court filing, Talwani noted that the change would place these migrants in a difficult position, as they would “be forced to choose between two injurious options: continue following the law and leave the country on their own, or await removal proceedings,” the Times reported.
Talwani had already indicated last Thursday that she planned to halt the DHS’s decision to terminate the legal protections for the 532,000 migrants who entered under the program.
The Department of Homeland Security had previously stated in a Federal Register announcement that the temporary status for these individuals would lapse on April 24. That notice aligned with President Donald Trump’s broader push to curtail legal protections for those in the U.S. without permanent status.
{Matzav.com}