Judge orders Trump to resume processing humanitarian parole extensions
A federal judge on Wednesday ruled against the Trump administration's halting of processing humanitarian re-parole applications. Photo by Chris Kleponis/UPI | License Photo
May 29 (UPI) -- A federal judge has ruled against the Trump administration's halt to processing applications of those in the United States under humanitarian parole programs who are seeking to extend their legal status.
The ruling on Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani in Boston orders the Trump administration to restore the processing of applications to extend the stay of immigrants granted legal status in the United States under humanitarian parole programs that have been terminated since President Donald Trump's inauguration.
"This ruling reaffirms what we have always known to be true: our government has a legal obligation to respect the rights of all humanitarian parole beneficiaries and the Americans who have welcomed them into their communities," Anwen Hughes, director of legal strategy for Refugee Programs at Human Rights First, said in a statement.
The ruling is another legal setback in the Trump administration's crackdown on immigration, though it is only a preliminary injunction as litigation continues.
On Jan. 20 inauguration day, Trump signed an executive order directing Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to terminate all parole programs "that are contrary to the policies of the United States," specifically naming one titled Processes for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans, also known as CHNV, which allows people from those countries to live and work in the United States.
Other programs targeted include Uniting for Ukraine, allowing Ukrainians displaced by the Russian war to stay in the United States, and Operation Allies Welcome, which is for Afghans fleeing the Taliban.
Then on Feb. 14, under the executive order, DHS suspended the processing of applications for extended legal status of those previously approved under the terminated programs over potential concerns of vetting their original applications by the Biden administration.
The directives threatened the legal stay of hundreds of thousands of people, and a nationwide coalition of beneficiaries, sponsors and organizational plaintiff Haitian Bridge Alliance filed a lawsuit late February challenging the Trump administration actions.
In her ruling Wednesday, Indira Talwani, a Barack Obama appointee, said that while the executive order was not in question, directions given under it to stop the processing of re-parole applications are likely to fail in court. Talwani said the executive order does not provide for the indefinite suspension of applications for re-parole applications.
"The 'pause' has now been in place for more than three months; the pause is, in effect, an indefinite suspension," she said.
The lawsuit involved several beneficiaries of the terminated programs, which Karen Tumlin, founder and director of the Justice Action Center, described as essential workers, life partners and family members to others in the United States.
"They deserve to be treated like anyone else when it comes to pursuing forms of status," Tumlin said.
"We're grateful that the judge restored fairness and accountability for these communities."
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