Federal judge temporarily blocks Trump from ending Biden-era migrant program

A federal judge in Massachusetts temporarily blocked President Trump’s administration from ending a Biden-era program that allowed parole and the right to work for over half a million immigrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela. 

U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani ruled Monday that migrants from the four countries can remain in the U.S., where they could obtain authorization to legally work or apply for adjustment of status, temporarily barring the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from doing away with their status as part of the federal government’s effort to shut down the program 10 days from now. 

“If their parole status is allowed to lapse, Plaintiffs will be faced with two unfavorable options: continue following the law and leave the country on their own, or await removal proceedings. If Plaintiffs leave the country on their own, they will face dangers in their native countries, as set forth in their affidavits,” Talwani wrote in her 41-page ruling. 

“For some Plaintiffs, leaving will also cause family separation. Leaving may also mean Plaintiffs will have forfeited any opportunity to obtain a remedy based on their APA claims, as leaving may moot those claims,” the justice wrote. 

The Hill has reached out to the White House for comment. 

The ruling represents a victory for migrants whose legal status was set to expire on April 24. 

“This ruling is a significant step toward justice for not only the hundreds of thousands of people who entered the U.S. through this important process, but for the American sponsors who welcomed them to their homes and communities. With this decision, so many people throughout the country will be able to breathe a huge sigh of relief,” said Karen Tumlin, the founder and director of Justice Action Center, an immigrant advocacy group. 

The program, known as CHNV, permitted migrants from Venezuela, Haiti, Cuba and Nicaragua to reach the U.S. and stay for up to two years if they were able to pass a health and background check, along with having a financial sponsor in the country. 

Over 500,000 migrants from those four nations came to the U.S. with the help of the parole program. 

The effort to end the program started in late March. The federal government’s officials argued that the program provides protection for migrants in the short term without charting a path to secure a “durable status” in the long run. 

Last week, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem ended protections from deportations for migrants from Cameroon and Afghanistan who were shielded by Temporary Protected Status since 2022.