A federal judge has allowed over 500,000 migrants to continue staying in the United States (U. S) despite efforts by President Donald Trump to deport them.
U.S District Judge Brian Cogan’s ruling granted temporary protections from deportation to tens of thousands of Haitians living and working in the U.S.
The Department of Homeland Security stated that the restoration of the Haiti Temporary Protected Status (TPS) means that these protections from deportation will now remain in place until at least February 2026, with employment authorisation.
In his ruling, Cogan found that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem exceeded her authority when she shortened the timeline.
Cogan said it is unlawful to move up the TPS expiration for Haitians, some of whom have lived in the U.S. for more than a decade.
He ruled that the Department of Homeland Security’s move to terminate the legal protections early violated the TPS statute that requires a certain amount of notice before reconsidering a designation.
“When the Government confers a benefit over a fixed period of time, a beneficiary can reasonably expect to receive that benefit at least until the end of that fixed period,” Cogan said.
Trump Blocked from Reducing Protection
This follows a New York federal judge earlier this month blocking the Trump administration’s efforts to reduce the protections by six months, which are normally valid for 18 months.
The Trump administration was sued over its decision to end Haitians’ TPS status and their work permits prematurely.
The Trump administration had previously moved to revoke TPS protections for several of these countries, arguing that the original conditions justifying their stay had improved.
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This would have impacted hundreds of thousands of migrants who entered the U. S. under a Biden-era humanitarian parole programme, including more than 200,000 Haitians.
Former President Joe Biden extended the TPS designation, which was previously set to expire on 3 February 2026, for Haiti.
Biden had allowed over half a million Haitians to shield themselves from deportation and to retain their work permits.
Furthermore, Cogan rejected the administration’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit filed by Haitian immigrants with TPS, a labour union, and a clergy group representing TPS beneficiaries.
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Response from U.S Citizenship and Immigration Services
US. Citizenship and Immigration Services stated that Haiti’s TPS designation and related benefits were scheduled to conclude on 2 September 2025. Still, on 15 July, “a single judge in the U. S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York issued a final judgment” in a lawsuit.
“The Department of Homeland Security vehemently disagrees with this ruling and is working to determine next steps,” immigration services said in the statement.
TPS designations have historically been given to countries experiencing armed conflict, natural disasters, or other extraordinary conditions.
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