A federal judge in Boston has halted President Donald Trump's administration from revoking immigration benefits for hundreds of thousands of Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans under the humanitarian parole program. Judge Indira Talwani, appointed by former Democratic President Barack Obama, determined that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) misinterpreted the law when it tried to shorten the legal stay of parole beneficiaries, according to a report by Reuters.
This ruling temporarily stops the Republican administration's plans to nullify the immigration benefits starting April 24, which would have exposed approximately 450,000 individuals to expedited deportation proceedings. Judge Talwani emphasized that the regulation cited by the DHS targets those who crossed the border illegally, not individuals who entered the country legally with a parole permit. "Their priority is not those who entered illegally, but rather those who adhered to the rules," she stated, as reported by Reuters.
The proposal to revoke parole, announced in a notice last month in the Federal Register, was seen as part of the Republican government's hardline immigration policy and quickly became the subject of litigation. Before the ruling, outlets like the Miami Herald reported that Judge Talwani was contemplating a preliminary order to stop the cancellation of the parole program, also known as CHNV, which affects citizens from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela.
Without the judge's intervention, deportation protections and work permits for over half a million migrants would have expired on April 24, leaving them without legal status or recourse to avoid expulsion from the U.S. The program, which began under President Joe Biden's administration, allowed citizens from these four nations to enter the U.S. by air, provided they had financial sponsors, purchased their own tickets, and passed medical and background checks.
From its inception in January 2023 until December 2024, the final full month of Biden's tenure, more than 531,000 individuals legally entered the U.S. through this pathway: 110,240 Cubans, 211,040 Haitians, 93,070 Nicaraguans, and 117,330 Venezuelans. Many have settled in South Florida, where they live and work, choosing parole as a safe and legal alternative to the perilous journey across the southern border, which saw a surge during the Biden administration.
The plaintiffs' attorneys—a group of program beneficiaries who filed a class-action lawsuit—warned that allowing the Republican measure to take effect would cause "irreparable" harm on an "astonishing scale," leaving thousands of law-abiding individuals vulnerable to immediate deportation and unable to work legally.
The DHS contended in court documents that the program no longer met the criteria of "significant public benefit" or "urgent humanitarian need" and contributed to the collapse of the immigration system, claiming that at least 75,000 parole beneficiaries had applied for asylum, which they argued exacerbated procedural delays.
The Trump administration argued that the program did not significantly reduce irregular migration at the southern border and created logistical pressures, particularly at airports like those in Florida, where nearly 80% of the migrants arrived. The Federal Register notice justified the program's cancellation as part of a new border security strategy and an attempt to break the "vicious cycle" of irregular immigration, also criticizing the use of executive powers to implement programs like CHNV as an abuse of power.
Recently, the government began encouraging voluntary self-deportation for beneficiaries, urging them to report their departure through the Custom and Border Protection's (CBP) mobile app, while indicating that those who had not initiated other immigration procedures—such as asylum, TPS, or status adjustment—prior to the Federal Register notice would be prioritized for deportation.
In March, President Trump urged the Supreme Court to restrict federal judges' nationwide injunctions, arguing that they repeatedly blocked his policies. "Illegal nationwide injunctions by radical left judges could lead to the destruction of our country. These people are lunatics who don't care, even a little, about the consequences of their decisions and rulings, which are very dangerous and wrong!" Trump wrote on his social network, Truth Social.
However, on Thursday, during a Cabinet meeting, he suggested that his administration might offer temporary relief to certain undocumented workers in the agricultural and hospitality sectors, allowing them to stay in the U.S. temporarily and later return with legal visas. "A farmer will come with a letter about certain people saying they're excellent, they're working hard. We're going to slow down a little for them, and then we're ultimately going to bring them back. They'll leave, and they're going to return as legal workers," Trump stated from the Oval Office.
Understanding the Legal Battle Over Humanitarian Parole
What is humanitarian parole?
Humanitarian parole is a temporary legal status allowing individuals to enter the United States for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit, despite typically not meeting the standard requirements for entry.
Why was the Trump administration attempting to revoke parole status?
The Trump administration argued that the parole program no longer met the criteria for significant public benefit or urgent humanitarian need. They claimed it contributed to immigration system strain and failed to significantly curb irregular migration at the southern border.
How did the court's decision affect migrants under this program?
The court's decision temporarily halted the administration's plan to revoke parole status, preventing immediate deportation for approximately 450,000 individuals and allowing them to retain work permits and legal status.