Federal Judge Blocks Trump Administration from Ending Migrant Parole Programs

by Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Staff

(Worthy News) – A U.S. federal judge on Wednesday temporarily blocked the Trump administration from halting Biden-era humanitarian parole programs that have allowed hundreds of thousands of migrants from Ukraine, Afghanistan, and Latin America to enter and remain in the United States.

U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani ordered the Department of Homeland Security to resume processing applications for migrants seeking work permits or legal status renewals under the programs. Her ruling came in response to a class action lawsuit challenging the administration’s suspension of the parole system.

Talwani, an Obama appointee, said the administration overstepped its authority, noting that federal law requires a case-by-case review process for immigration relief. She certified a nationwide class of migrants currently covered by the programs and criticized the administration’s attempt to strip legal protections en masse.

“It is not in the public interest to create a situation in which hundreds of thousands of individuals become unlawfully present in the country and unable to work,” Talwani wrote.

The parole programs, created under President Joe Biden, allowed migrants with U.S. sponsors to enter legally for two years. Many participants include military family members and former translators for U.S. forces.

The Trump administration, seeking to end all categorical parole, had paused applications following a January 20 executive order. It has asked the Supreme Court to intervene.

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