A federal judge has temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s bid to revoke Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for more than 350,000 Haitian immigrants, a decision that halts the planned rollback of legal protections that shield recipients from deportation and authorize them to live and work in the United States.
U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes, sitting in Washington, D.C., granted a preliminary injunction Monday, finding that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) likely violated federal law and constitutional principles in its effort to terminate Haiti’s TPS designation, which had been scheduled to expire this week. The ruling preserves TPS for Haitian nationals while litigation continues.
TPS was first granted to Haitian nationals following the devastating 2010 earthquake, and has been extended repeatedly due to ongoing humanitarian crises in the Caribbean nation, including widespread gang violence, political instability, and displacement. Under the program, eligible Haitians can obtain work permits and temporary protection from deportation.
In her 42-page opinion, Judge Reyes said the government’s attempt to abruptly end TPS for Haitians was “likely unlawful” and that plaintiffs showed a strong likelihood of success on the merits of their claims. The judge also described potential racial animus underlying the administration’s decision, noting statements by officials that could suggest bias against nonwhite immigrants.
Legal advocates and community leaders hailed the ruling as a major victory for TPS holders and their families, emphasizing the potential disruption that termination of protections would have caused. Without TPS, Haitians who have built lives in the U.S. could have faced mass deportations to a country still struggling with security and humanitarian challenges, advocates say.
The Department of Homeland Security has said it intends to appeal the injunction, arguing that TPS is meant to be a temporary humanitarian program and that the high court should ultimately determine its fate. Civil rights and immigrant advocacy groups, however, contend that any change to TPS designations must comply with statutory procedures and respect constitutional protections against discrimination.