A federal judge in New York has issued a ruling preventing the Trump administration from terminating temporary protected status (TPS) for over 500,000 Haitians residing in the United States.
District Court Judge Brian M. Cogan found that the administration’s decision to accelerate the expiration of TPS by at least five months was unlawful.
The Biden administration had previously extended Haiti’s TPS status until February 3, 2026, in light of ongoing issues such as gang violence, political instability, and the aftermath of a significant earthquake in 2021.
However, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced last week that it would eliminate these protections starting September 2, claiming improvements in conditions in Haiti.
This announcement raised concerns about potential deportation for many Haitians who have built lives in the U.S. over the past decade.
The ruling came during a period where President Donald Trump has been active in dismantling protections and programs for immigrants, fulfilling promises of mass deportations.
In his 23-page opinion, Judge Cogan emphasized that the DHS’s actions violated the TPS statute, which mandates that beneficiaries be given a specific amount of notice before any change in designation occurs.
The judge noted that beneficiaries reasonably expect to maintain their legal status for the duration of the designated period.
Cogan pointed out that many Haitians have secured jobs, enrolled in educational institutions, and sought medical care based on the assumption that their TPS would remain intact through the end of the year.
Manny Pastreich, the president of the Service Employees International Union Local 32BJ that filed the lawsuit, called the ruling an important victory, though he acknowledged that the fight is far from over.
“We will keep fighting to make sure this decision is upheld,” Pastreich asserted.
He emphasized the commitment to advocate for the rights of members and all immigrants against the Trump Administration, stating, “And when we fight, we win.”
The DHS had not immediately responded to inquiries regarding the ruling.
In their arguments, the government claimed that TPS is inherently a temporary program, thereby suggesting that beneficiaries must always be prepared for the possibility of termination.
Haiti’s TPS has been in place since 2010, following a devastating earthquake, and has faced multiple extensions due to ongoing crises in the country.
Recent reports indicate that gang violence has displaced approximately 1.3 million people across Haiti, with a significant portion of the population fleeing their homes due to rampant lawlessness and violence.
Since December, there has been a 24% increase in the number of displaced Haitians, with armed gangs reportedly driving nearly 11% of the nation’s nearly 12 million residents from their residences.
In a related development, the U.S. Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration to rescind TPS for 350,000 Venezuelans earlier this year, putting them at risk of deportation.
This ruling temporarily halted an earlier decision from a federal judge in San Francisco that had maintained legal protections for Venezuelans.
The New York judge’s decision comes amid further actions by the Trump administration to strip legal protections from thousands of Haitians who previously entered the U.S. under a humanitarian parole program.
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