A federal judge has ruled that the Trump administration cannot immediately end the deportation protections and work permits of more than half a million migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela who entered the United States legally under a Biden-era program.
The decision, made on April 15 by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani in Boston, stops the government from terminating these migrants’ legal status on April 24 as planned.
The migrants were allowed into the U.S. through a program called CHNV, which permitted them to fly to the country after being sponsored by U.S.-based individuals.
Upon arrival, they were granted humanitarian parole, allowing them to live and work legally in the U.S. for two years. The Biden administration credited this program with reducing illegal border crossings from these countries.
However, the Trump administration sought to end the program, arguing that the migrants were not properly vetted and that the parole authority was being misused. Officials warned that those affected would have to leave voluntarily by April 24 or face arrest and deportation.
The Department of Homeland Security also said it would prioritize arresting migrants who had not applied for other immigration benefits like asylum or green cards.
Judge Talwani blocked these plans, stating that ending the migrants’ legal status without reviewing each case individually violates the rule of law. She wrote that the migrants had followed the rules and entered lawfully, so their parole status should not be cut short without proper justification.
The judge emphasized that forcing these migrants to leave or face removal proceedings without case-by-case consideration would cause serious harm, including family separation and danger in their home countries.
This ruling is a major legal setback for the Trump administration’s efforts to dismantle Biden-era immigration protections. It follows a similar decision in California that stopped the administration from ending Temporary Protected Status for over 350,000 Venezuelans.
The Department of Homeland Security criticized the CHNV program, claiming it allowed poorly vetted migrants into the country and caused problems like crime and job loss. Despite this, the court’s decision protects the migrants’ current legal status for now, requiring the government to review each case before taking action.
This case highlights ongoing legal battles over immigration policies and the rights of migrants who entered the U.S. under humanitarian parole programs. The judge’s ruling ensures that these migrants will not lose their protections abruptly and without due process.
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