Appeals Court Blocks Trump’s Bid to End Migrant Legal Status

A federal appeals court on Monday denied the Trump administration's request to revoke temporary legal protections for nearly 400,000 migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. The 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston upheld a lower court’s decision blocking the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from ending a two-year humanitarian parole program originally implemented under President Joe Biden.

The parole program allows certain migrants to live and work legally in the U.S. temporarily. DHS, under Secretary Kristi Noem, had sought to cancel the program without case-by-case review, arguing it retained full discretion and that the court’s order compelled the U.S. to keep "hundreds of thousands of aliens" in the country.

However, the three-judge panel, all appointed by Democratic presidents, ruled that DHS had not demonstrated a strong likelihood of success in its appeal. U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani had previously found the administration’s broad cancellation of work permits and legal status unlawful, saying it bypassed individual review and misinterpreted immigration law.

Immigrant advocacy groups, including the Justice Action Center, praised the court’s decision, calling the administration’s move both “reckless and illegal.” The ruling keeps in place protections for migrants who would have otherwise faced sudden deportation.

DHS had issued a Federal Register notice on March 25 announcing the termination of Biden-era humanitarian parole, which had covered migrants fleeing crisis zones. The administration may now appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Despite the legal setback, a DHS spokesperson reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to strict immigration enforcement, stating, “No lawsuit...is going to stop us from restoring the rule of law.”

This case highlights the escalating legal and political battle over U.S. immigration policy ahead of the 2024 election.