A federal judge has ruled it's unlawful for the Trump administration to strip legal protections from over a million Venezuelan and Haitian migrants, allowing them to remain in the U.S.
District Judge Edward Chen overturned the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) decision to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS), which was designed to protect individuals from countries facing war or natural disasters. This ruling grants legal residency to around 600,000 Venezuelans and 500,000 Haitians currently living in the U.S.
Judge Chen noted that conditions in Venezuela and Haiti are so perilous that the U.S. State Department actively advises against travel to those regions. In his decision, he pointed out that the DHS Secretary's actions were not only unprecedented but also illegal.
Despite the ruling, a DHS spokesperson has stated intentions to appeal, claiming the TPS program has been exploited and politicized. Previously, the Trump administration attempted to reverse protections for these migrants, leading to legal challenges.
Since its inception in 1990, the TPS program has aimed to provide migrant protections in response to specific humanitarian crises.
As the situation develops, the discussion surrounding TPS and immigration policies remains in the spotlight, reflecting ongoing tensions in U.S. immigration policy.
