Poli Alert Politics & Civics
Related Articles
A federal judge on Friday halted the Trump administration’s effort to revoke Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for approximately 5,000 Venezuelans, delivering a significant win for immigrant advocates and TPS holders in the United States.
The ruling by U.S. District Judge Edward E. Chen ensures that Venezuelans who received extensions during a brief window earlier this year will retain their protection from deportation — at least while the case proceeds.
“If their paperwork lists TPS status valid through October 2026, they should not be subject to deportation,” Chen wrote in his decision, issued from federal court in San Francisco.
Legal Limbo After Sudden Termination
The dispute centers on a controversial decision made in February by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who rescinded a Biden-era TPS extension for Venezuelans. That move came just weeks after the new Trump administration took office in January 2025.
TPS is a program created by Congress to allow people from countries experiencing war, natural disasters, or other crises to temporarily live and work in the U.S. Venezuela was first granted TPS under President Biden in 2021, and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas extended it in January 2025, just before leaving office.
Challenge: Allegations of Discrimination
In a lawsuit filed by the National TPS Alliance and seven Venezuelan immigrants, plaintiffs argued that the Noem decision was both procedurally improper and racially discriminatory. The suit challenges the Trump administration’s broader effort to roll back humanitarian protections and launch mass deportation initiatives.
Advocates feared that ending TPS for Venezuelans could disrupt the lives of as many as 350,000 people, many of whom have built families and careers in the U.S.
“This decision is a lifeline for thousands of Venezuelan families who have followed the law, built lives here, and deserve stability,” said a legal representative for the plaintiffs, though DHS and the National TPS Alliance declined immediate comment.
Supreme Court Still in Play
Friday’s ruling follows an earlier Supreme Court decision last month that gave the Trump administration temporary clearance to begin revoking TPS for Venezuelans, even as lower courts weighed ongoing challenges. Judge Chen’s new ruling, however, narrowly protects a specific group — those who received TPS documentation during the short window between Mayorkas’ extension and Noem’s termination.
The legal landscape remains highly volatile. The Trump administration has already asked the Supreme Court to take broader action and allow mass revocations. If the court grants that request, Friday’s decision could be overturned — though legal analysts say Chen’s order provides a strong argument for maintaining protection until due process is completed.
Deportation Push Faces Backlash
The Trump administration has aggressively ramped up deportation efforts since January, detaining and deporting tens of thousands of undocumented immigrants in what officials have called a “restoration of order”.
But the campaign has also generated controversy, particularly after incidents like the mistaken deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland man wrongfully sent to El Salvador. Immigration advocates point to that case as evidence of systemic failures in how immigration enforcement is being carried out.
