Federal Judge Blocks DHS From Ending Haitian TPS Early, Calls Move ‘Unlawful’

by Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Staff

(Worthy News) – A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration from ending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for more than 520,000 Haitian immigrants, siding with plaintiffs who claimed the decision was both unlawful and harmful.

In a 23-page ruling issued July 1, U.S. District Judge Brian Cogan ruled that Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem acted outside her legal authority when she attempted to terminate Haiti’s TPS designation months before its scheduled expiration on February 3, 2026. The decision halts Noem’s plan to end the program as early as September 2.

“Secretary Noem does not have statutory or inherent authority to partially vacate a country’s TPS designation,” Cogan wrote. “Plaintiffs are likely to (and, indeed, do) succeed on the merits.” He further stated that the government cannot revoke a promised benefit prematurely without due process.

The ruling came in response to a lawsuit filed by nine Haitian TPS holders, the Haitian Evangelical Clergy Association, and the Service Employees International Union-Local 32BJ. Plaintiffs argued that Noem’s abrupt policy change–without conducting a required review of Haiti’s ongoing instability–violated federal law and inflicted real hardship on those relying on the program.

Cogan agreed, writing that TPS holders had made life decisions–including enrolling in school, taking jobs, and beginning medical treatments–based on the original expiration timeline. “The injuries experienced by the plaintiffs far outweigh any harm to the Government from a postponement,” he wrote.

TPS grants temporary legal status to individuals from countries plagued by armed conflict, natural disasters, or extraordinary conditions. Haiti received such a designation due to rampant gang violence, political unrest, and previous natural disasters. The Biden administration had extended that status through early 2026, but Noem reversed the decision earlier this year, citing national interest concerns.

In a July 1 notice, DHS defended the reversal, stating that extending TPS for Haiti would conflict with U.S. national interests and cited incidents involving TPS recipients under investigation for fraud and public safety concerns. DHS also noted that Haitian nationals may apply for other lawful immigration pathways if eligible.

The judge’s ruling comes amid broader efforts by the federal government to curtail temporary legal protections. The Supreme Court recently allowed the administration to end TPS for Venezuelan nationals, and DHS is also seeking to revoke status from hundreds of thousands of immigrants admitted under the Biden-era CHNV humanitarian parole program.

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