Judge Blocks Trump Move to End Deportation Protections for 350,000 Haitians

A federal judge has halted the Donald Trump administration’s attempt to revoke Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for more than 350,000 Haitians living in the United States, shielding them from possible deportation to violence-stricken Haiti. U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes in Washington, D.C., ruled that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security could not proceed with terminating Haiti’s TPS designation, which was set to expire imminently. The decision came amid worsening gang violence and instability in Haiti that has displaced more than 1.4 million people.

In her ruling, Reyes said Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem likely failed to follow required legal procedures and may have violated the Fifth Amendment’s equal protection guarantees. The lawsuit, filed as a class action on behalf of Haitian nationals, argued that the administration’s move would expose families to grave danger. Attorneys representing the plaintiffs said the decision acknowledges the severe humanitarian risks in Haiti and allows TPS holders to continue working and supporting their communities in the U.S.

The Department of Homeland Security signaled it would appeal, arguing TPS was intended as a short-term measure rather than what officials called a “de facto amnesty.” Haitians were first granted TPS after the devastating 2010 earthquake, with extensions continuing due to political collapse, armed gangs, and economic turmoil. The UNICEF estimates more than 6 million people in Haiti — including 3.3 million children — now require humanitarian assistance, underscoring the fragile conditions at the center of the court battle.

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