Judge blocks DHS effort to end legal status for migrants in family reunification programs
A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration from terminating the legal status of roughly 10,000 migrants living in the United States under family reunification parole programs, ruling that the government acted unlawfully in attempting to abruptly dismantle the system. In a 42-page order issued late Saturday, U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani found that the Department of Homeland Security’s decision to end the programs was “arbitrary and capricious” and failed to account for the real-world consequences facing migrants who relied on the policy to lawfully reunite with family members in the U.S. The ruling applies to noncitizens from Cuba, Haiti, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras who entered the country under a Biden-era initiative that allowed U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents to sponsor relatives while they waited for immigrant visas to become available.
The Trump administration announced in December that it planned to shut down the reunification programs, arguing they were vulnerable to fraud and improperly expanded the use of humanitarian parole. Homeland Security officials said the programs allowed insufficiently vetted migrants to bypass traditional immigration pathways and insisted parole should only be granted on a case-by-case basis. Judge Talwani rejected that justification, finding the administration failed to consider whether affected migrants could realistically return to their home countries after uprooting their lives. Court filings detailed how participants sold homes, businesses, and personal belongings, left school or employment, and made permanent plans based on assurances that they would be able to remain lawfully in the United States. Talwani also dismissed claims of widespread fraud, noting the government presented no concrete evidence that parole recipients obtained their status unlawfully. The judge said Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem could not legally reverse the policy without acknowledging the reliance interests of those affected.
The ruling is part of a broader class action lawsuit challenging the administration’s effort to roll back multiple parole programs that collectively impact hundreds of thousands of migrants nationwide. Talwani has previously blocked similar attempts to revoke parole for migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela, though those rulings have faced legal back-and-forth at higher courts. While the Supreme Court temporarily allowed the administration to end one such program earlier this year, a federal appeals court later reinstated protections as litigation continued. Talwani’s latest decision specifically safeguards several thousand migrants admitted through family reunification channels, including a significant number of children, while the case proceeds in Massachusetts federal court. Immigration advocacy groups involved in the lawsuit say they expect the government to appeal the injunction, setting the stage for another high-stakes legal battle over the scope of executive authority in immigration enforcement.
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