A federal judge on Monday temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s move to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans, offering a last-minute reprieve just one week before the protections were set to expire.
U.S. District Judge Edward Chen, presiding in San Francisco, issued the nationwide injunction in response to a lawsuit brought by the National TPS Alliance and TPS holders across the country. His order safeguards around 350,000 Venezuelans who were set to lose their TPS designation on April 7.
Laura Kelley, Miami-Dade County Democratic Party Chair, (2nd L) joins with others to support a resolution in favor of reinstating temporary protected status for Venezuelans on February 13, 2025, in Miami, Florida. Laura Kelley, Miami-Dade County Democratic Party Chair, (2nd L) joins with others to support a resolution in favor of reinstating temporary protected status for Venezuelans on February 13, 2025, in Miami, Florida. AFP/Getty Images
Why It Matters
Created by Congress in 1990, TPS is intended to shield individuals from deportation if their home countries are grappling with natural disasters, armed conflict, or other extraordinary crises. Beneficiaries can live and work legally in the U.S. for up to 18 months, subject to extensions.
What to Know
In January, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem reversed a last-minute decision by the Biden administration to extend TPS for those from Venezuela through October 2026, leaving thousands open to potential deportation when their protections lapse this year.
Chen criticized Noem’s decision, saying the government had failed to show any “real countervailing harm in continuing TPS for Venezuelan beneficiaries.” He added that the plaintiffs are likely to prove Noem’s actions were “unauthorized by law, arbitrary and capricious, and motivated by unconstitutional animus.”
Newsweek has reached out to DHS via email on Monday afternoon after comment.
Noem also announced plans to end TPS for an additional 250,000 Venezuelans in September. The Department of Homeland Security has yet to comment on the ruling.
In court, attorneys for TPS holders argued that Noem lacked the legal authority to end the protections and that her decision was rooted in racial prejudice. “It seems to defame an entire group of 600,000 Venezuelans who are here with this image,” said Judge Chen. “Isn’t that almost the definition of racism?”
The Trump administration has also moved to revoke humanitarian parole for over 530,000 Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans, whose work permits expire on April 24.
What People Are Saying
Judge Chen wrote in his ruling: “This action threatens to: inflict irreparable harm on hundreds of thousands of persons whose lives, families, and livelihoods will be severely disrupted, cost the United States billions in economic activity, and injure public health and safety in communities throughout the United States.”
DOJ attorney Sarah Vuong defended Noem, insisting her motivations were based on national security concerns: “She was not motivated by racial bias.”
What Happens Next
The judge, an Obama appointee, gave the administration one week to file notice of an appeal. He also gave the plaintiffs one week to seek a pause in the termination of TPS for another group—500,000 Haitians—whose protections are scheduled to end in August.
Reporting by the Associated Press contributed to this story.
Update: 3/31/25, 6:17 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
Update: 3/31/25, 7:13 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
