A U.S. District Judge has ruled that the Trump administration’s attempt to terminate temporary protected status (TPS) for Venezuelan and Haitian migrants is unlawful. District Judge Edward Chen overturned the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) decision to end protections for individuals from countries facing dangerous conditions for return. This ruling enables approximately 600,000 Venezuelans and 500,000 Haitians to continue residing and working legally in the United States. The DHS has announced plans to appeal the ruling.
The TPS program was created by Congress in 1990 to offer temporary protections to migrants from nations experiencing war or natural disasters. Judge Chen, in his 69-page decision, stated that DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s revocation of TPS was “unprecedented” in its execution and violated legal standards. He noted that current conditions in the home countries of these migrants are sufficiently dangerous that the U.S. State Department advises against travel there.
A DHS spokesperson criticized the ruling, claiming that the TPS scheme had been misused and suggesting that the decision could interfere with the administration’s approach to immigration. The spokesperson emphasized the need for a secure homeland and indicated that the administration is considering its legal options.
Under the TPS program, around 600,000 Venezuelan migrants are currently protected. The program was extended under former President Biden to include additional countries such as Haiti, Afghanistan, Cameroon, and Ukraine. However, President Trump sought to reverse these extensions early in his term and aimed to terminate TPS for Venezuelans altogether.
In response to the Trump administration’s actions, the National TPS Alliance and some Venezuelan TPS holders filed a lawsuit, contending that Secretary Noem lacked the authority to revoke the TPS designation. Earlier this year, the Supreme Court temporarily allowed the Trump administration to proceed with plans to end TPS for certain migrants, but Judge Chen affirmed his capacity to issue new rulings in this matter. Meanwhile, a federal appeals court has ruled against cuts to foreign aid initiated by the Trump administration, demanding prompt spending of appropriated funds.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3vzknpywp4o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss