SPRINGFIELD, Ohio (MT) — A federal judge on Monday put a halt to the Trump administration’s effort to revoke temporary immigration protections for Haitians, a step that would have placed roughly 350,000 people at risk of losing the right to live and work in the United States.
U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes, who sits in Washington, ordered a pause on the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians as a legal challenge to the decision moves forward. The protections had been scheduled to expire on Tuesday.
The ruling brought a sense of cautious relief to Haitian communities and advocates. “We can breathe for a little bit,” said Rose-Thamar Joseph, operations director of the Haitian Support Center in Springfield. She emphasized that the decision is only temporary. “A judge cannot redesign a country for TPS or extend the TPS, but it means a lot for us.”
Earlier Monday, anxiety over the impending deadline sparked a public display of unity in Springfield, where dozens of faith leaders joined hundreds of congregants in prayer and song to support Haitian migrants concerned about losing their protected status.
In an 83-page opinion accompanying her order, Judge Reyes wrote that the plaintiffs were likely to prevail in their lawsuit. She further concluded it was “substantially likely” that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem had effectively decided in advance to end TPS for Haitians, citing what the judge described as hostility toward nonwhite immigrants.
The Trump administration, under President Donald Trump, has repeatedly sought to scale back immigration programs, including TPS, which grants temporary legal status to people from countries facing war, natural disasters, or other extraordinary conditions.
For now, the court’s decision preserves TPS protections for Haitians as the broader legal battle over their future continues.
By The Midtown Times Staff
