Judge Blocks Trump Suspending Biden-Era Migrant ‘Parole’ Programs/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ A U.S. judge has blocked the Trump administration from halting Biden-era migrant parole programs for nationals from countries like Cuba and Ukraine. The court ruled the administration must follow federal procedures and cannot cancel these programs without proper process. Thousands of migrants are now temporarily protected as litigation continues.
Biden Parole Programs Win Legal Shield: Quick Looks
- Judge Blocks Trump Move: A federal judge ruled against suspending Biden-era migrant parole initiatives.
- Nationwide Class Certified: All current parole recipients are temporarily protected across the U.S.
- Targeted Groups: Migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Afghanistan, and Ukraine affected.
- Parole Basics: Programs allow two-year stays for migrants with U.S.-based sponsors.
- Judge Talwani’s Ruling: Suspension cannot bypass legal review and due process.
- Military Families Protected: Judge cites risk of separation for service members’ loved ones.
- Humanitarian Concern: Court says halting the programs risks making people unlawfully present.
- White House Reaction: The Biden team pledges to fight the suspension “in court.”
- Trump’s Immigration Agenda: Trump signed an executive order to cancel all Biden parole programs.
Deep Look: Judge Blocks Trump Administration From Halting Migrant Parole Programs
A federal court has delivered a major legal setback to President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani, sitting in Massachusetts, issued a ruling Wednesday that halts the Trump administration’s effort to terminate Biden-era humanitarian parole programs—initiatives that allow migrants from war-torn and politically unstable countries to live temporarily in the U.S.
What Are the Parole Programs?
The programs, initiated under President Joe Biden, offered two-year humanitarian parole to migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Afghanistan, and Ukraine, provided they had U.S.-based sponsors. These programs were designed to streamline legal entry, offer temporary protection, and grant work authorization while migrants await formal proceedings.
Since their rollout, hundreds of thousands have benefited from these policies, including many who worked as translators for the U.S. military or fled violence and political unrest.
Judge Says Trump Overstepped Legal Authority
Judge Talwani, an Obama appointee, found that the Trump administration lacked the legal authority to suspend the programs en masse. The ruling emphasized that federal immigration policy changes must undergo a structured, lawful process, especially when impacting large groups of vulnerable individuals.
In the decision, Talwani wrote:
“It is not in the public interest to manufacture a circumstance in which hundreds of thousands of individuals will… become unlawfully present in the country.”
She added that family separation, especially for active-duty military members, would cause “irreparable harm.”
Legal Protections Expanded Nationwide
The court not only blocked the administration’s actions but also certified a nationwide class, offering temporary protection to all migrants enrolled in these parole programs. This includes individuals who have applied for work permits or are seeking status renewals.
The Trump administration had already tried to revoke parole protections for over 530,000 migrants, citing national security and economic concerns. But last month, the same judge ruled that ending parole for migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela must be handled case-by-case, not through mass cancellation.
Trump Administration Pushes Back
The Trump White House responded with sharp criticism, accusing the court of obstructing lawful immigration enforcement.
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt vowed to “fight this in a court of law,” while the administration also petitioned the Supreme Court to reverse the lower court’s decision.
Advocates Celebrate the Ruling
Human Rights First, which represents several plaintiffs in the lawsuit, praised the decision.
“Our government has a legal obligation to respect the rights of all humanitarian parole beneficiaries,” said Anwen Hughes, an attorney for the group. “We hope the government will immediately resume adjudicating our clients’ applications for relief.”
Impact on Future Immigration Policy
This case is shaping up to be a bellwether for how courts handle broad executive authority on immigration. It also underscores the legal complexities of dismantling programs that involve hundreds of thousands of individuals, many of whom have already integrated into communities and taken jobs.
The ruling could delay or derail other aspects of Trump’s immigration strategy, which has included strict border controls, reduced refugee admissions, and increased deportations.
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