Federal Judge to Block Trump Effort to End Protections for Family Members of US Citizens and Green Card Holders
A US District Judge, Indira Talwani, has announced plans to temporarily block the Trump administration's effort to end a program that provides temporary legal protections to over 10,000 family members of US citizens and green card holders. The ruling comes just days after another judge cleared the way for hundreds of people from South Sudan to live and work in the United States legally.
The Family Reunification Parole (FRP) program impacts individuals from seven countries: Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, and Honduras. Most of them are set to lose their legal protections by January 14, following the Department of Homeland Security's decision to terminate the program.
However, lawyers for the plaintiffs argued that this is an "inequitable" move, as the family members had applied for the program and were granted temporary protections to start new lives in the US. They pointed out that these individuals have already obtained employment authorization documents, jobs, and enrolled their children in school.
In contrast, the government claimed that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has the authority to terminate any parole program and gave adequate notice by publishing the termination in the federal registry. The government also argued that resources would be better spent on other immigration programs due to national security concerns, as the individuals had not been thoroughly vetted.
Despite this, Judge Talwani expressed concern over the government's handling of the situation, stating that she wants to see a written notice – either a letter or email – being sent out to alert people about the program's termination. She acknowledged that the government can end the program but took issue with the way it was done.
This decision comes after lower courts largely supported maintaining temporary protections for many groups. However, in May, the Supreme Court cleared the way for the Trump administration to strip temporary legal protections from hundreds of thousands of immigrants.
As a result, nearly 1 million people could be newly exposed to deportation. The court's decision did not explain its reasoning, and two justices publicly dissented. It remains to be seen how this ruling will impact the lives of the individuals affected by the FRP program.
A US District Judge, Indira Talwani, has announced plans to temporarily block the Trump administration's effort to end a program that provides temporary legal protections to over 10,000 family members of US citizens and green card holders. The ruling comes just days after another judge cleared the way for hundreds of people from South Sudan to live and work in the United States legally.
The Family Reunification Parole (FRP) program impacts individuals from seven countries: Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, and Honduras. Most of them are set to lose their legal protections by January 14, following the Department of Homeland Security's decision to terminate the program.
However, lawyers for the plaintiffs argued that this is an "inequitable" move, as the family members had applied for the program and were granted temporary protections to start new lives in the US. They pointed out that these individuals have already obtained employment authorization documents, jobs, and enrolled their children in school.
In contrast, the government claimed that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has the authority to terminate any parole program and gave adequate notice by publishing the termination in the federal registry. The government also argued that resources would be better spent on other immigration programs due to national security concerns, as the individuals had not been thoroughly vetted.
Despite this, Judge Talwani expressed concern over the government's handling of the situation, stating that she wants to see a written notice – either a letter or email – being sent out to alert people about the program's termination. She acknowledged that the government can end the program but took issue with the way it was done.
This decision comes after lower courts largely supported maintaining temporary protections for many groups. However, in May, the Supreme Court cleared the way for the Trump administration to strip temporary legal protections from hundreds of thousands of immigrants.
As a result, nearly 1 million people could be newly exposed to deportation. The court's decision did not explain its reasoning, and two justices publicly dissented. It remains to be seen how this ruling will impact the lives of the individuals affected by the FRP program.
... like these ppl have been living their best lives in the US with temporary protections and now they're being told to just leave? what's wrong with giving them some stability? these family members have already built lives here, got jobs and enrolled kids in school... it's not fair that they get to lose everything because of some bureaucratic mistake.
! Judge Talwani's move shows that she's on the side of fairness and compassion, whereas Trump's admin is trying to stick it to those with families here and a chance to start anew 
. I mean, what's the difference between these 10k people and the hundreds of thousands who lost their protections in May? Is it just about perception vs reality? 
We need to keep pushing for transparency and accountability from our government – after all, they're supposed to represent us! 
imagine u have a family member 
living in usa for 10 yrs, they just got granted green card 
and now they're worried about their spouse 
or kid 
who's still back home 
... it's like their whole life depends on this program 
... 
, what's gonna happen to them? 
will they be deported? 
will they lose their job? 
will they have to leave usa? 
... it's not just about paperwork 
, it's about people's lives 
...
... these ppl deserve some mercy 
... [a simple ASCII art of a human face with a sad expression 
]
... so the Trump admin is trying to pull a fast one on these people who've already started building new lives in the US. Like, they get temporary protection and start working, enrolling their kids in school... what's the harm? The gov claims resources are better spent elsewhere but it just seems like another way to hurt ppl 
. I mean, we know the Supremes were already in the Trump admin's pocket but still... this ruling just sets up more chaos for people who thought they had a safe spot 
.
they've been living in the US for years and built a life here 
They're just trying to start over, but now it's like their future is being taken away from them 
This decision is totally not fair 
and it's gonna cause so much stress and anxiety for people who are already struggling 
but what about human lives? 
Just when you think it's safe to go back in the water... another judge stepping in to block Trump's crazy immigration moves 
judge talwani is literally saving lives here! 10k+ people are gonna get their protection back at least for now and it's not fair that they were already living in the us, got jobs, enrolled kids in school... like what even is the point of terminating the program? 
it's like they don't care about people's lives or futures. i feel bad for those families who've already put in so much work and are just trying to start over in a new country... they deserve better 
, this is some crazy news! like, i'm super happy that judge talwani is trying to block trump's attempt to end protections for these people's loved ones 
my heart goes out to the families who are affected by this