US Judge Blocks Trump from Suspending Biden-Era Migrant 'Parole' Programs

A U.S. federal judge has delivered another setback to efforts by the Trump administration to end several Biden-era parole programs that have allowed hundreds of thousands of migrants from Afghanistan, Latin America, and Ukraine temporary residence in the United States.

On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani of Massachusetts ordered the Trump administration to resume processing applications from migrants seeking work permits or renewals of their current status under these humanitarian parole programs. Judge Talwani, who was appointed during the Obama administration, dismissed the Trump administration’s argument that it had broad discretion to suspend these programs at will.

In her ruling, Judge Talwani emphasized that federal law obligates agencies within the Department of Homeland Security to follow established procedures when granting or denying parole and other forms of immigration relief. She sided with the plaintiffs in a class action lawsuit representing migrants affected by the suspension, and officially certified a nationwide class—temporarily protecting all individuals currently enrolled in the affected parole programs while litigation continues.

“This court emphasizes, as it did in its prior order, that it is not in the public interest to manufacture a circumstance in which hundreds of thousands of individuals will, over the course of several months, become unlawfully present in the country, such that these individuals cannot legally work in their communities or provide for themselves and their families,” Talwani wrote in her decision. She added that it would also be against the public interest for members of the U.S. military to face family separation, especially in cases where service members joined with hopes of helping loved ones obtain lawful status.

Some applicants in these parole programs had been allowed entry into the U.S. because of their work with the American military, particularly as translators or aides during overseas missions.

Under the programs established by President Biden, migrants and immediate family members could enter the United States for two years if they had American sponsors. However, the Trump administration has sought to terminate all such parole programs as part of a broader immigration crackdown, with President Trump signing an executive order in January directing the government to end all categorical parole programs created during the Biden presidency. The administration has also petitioned the Supreme Court for clarity on the matter.

Last month, Judge Talwani blocked a related effort to revoke parole and work authorization collectively for migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela, ruling that immigration decisions must be made on a case-by-case basis rather than en masse.

Lawyers for the plaintiffs, including Anwen Hughes of Human Rights First, welcomed the judge’s latest ruling. “This ruling reaffirms what we have always known to be true: our government has a legal obligation to respect the rights of all humanitarian parole beneficiaries and the Americans who have welcomed them into their communities,” Hughes said. “We share the judge’s hope that the government will adhere to this order and immediately resume adjudicating our clients’ applications for relief.”

Reuters contributed to this report.