Latest news with #HumanRightsFirst
Fox News
3 days ago
- General
- Fox News
US judge blocks Trump from suspending Biden-era migrant 'parole' programs
A U.S. federal judge has inflicted another blow to the Trump administration's efforts to end a multiple Biden-era parole program for hundreds of thousands of migrants from Afghanistan, Latin America and Ukraine. U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani of Massachusetts on Wednesday ordered the Trump administration to resume processing applications from those migrants who are seeking work permits or renewing their status. Talwani, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, rejected the Trump administration's claim that suspending the parole programs was within its broad discretion to direct immigration policy. Federal law still requires agencies under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to follow a lengthy process for granting or denying parole and other immigration relief, she wrote in siding with migrants pursuing a class action lawsuit. Talwani also certified a nationwide class, temporarily protecting all individuals in several humanitarian parole programs while the case proceeds. "This court emphasizes, as it did in its prior order, that it is not in the public interest to manufacture a circumstance in which hundreds of thousands of individuals will, over the course of several months, become unlawfully present in the country, such that these individuals cannot legally work in their communities or provide for themselves and their families," the judge wrote. "Nor is it in the public interest for individuals who enlisted and are currently serving in the United States military to face family separation, particularly where some of these individuals joined the military in part to help their loved ones obtain lawful status." Some of the applicants were paroled into the U.S. after working with the U.S. military as translators. The migrants were granted a two-year "parole" to live in the country under programs established by former President Joe Biden. The programs let migrants and their immediate family members fly to the United States as long as they had sponsors in America. Then, they would be placed on parole for two years. However, the Trump administration has been trying to end all parole programs as part of its immigration crackdown and has already asked the Supreme Court to weigh in on the matter. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Jan. 20 directing the government to end "all categorical parole programs" set up during the Biden administration. Last month, Talwani blocked the administration's effort to revoke parole and work authorization en masse for migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela, ruling that such actions required case-by-case determinations. Anwen Hughes, a lawyer for the plaintiffs at Human Rights First, said in a statement that they are pleased with the ruling. "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," Hughes said. "We share the judge's hope that the government will adhere to this order and immediately resume adjudicating our clients' applications for relief."
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Judge orders Trump to resume processing humanitarian parole extensions
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."
TimesLIVE
3 days ago
- Politics
- TimesLIVE
US judge blocks Trump from suspending Biden-era migrant 'parole' programmes
A US federal judge on Wednesday ordered President Donald Trump's administration to resume processing applications from migrants seeking work permits or more lasting immigration status who are living in the country temporarily under 'parole' programmes. The ruling by district judge Indira Talwani in Boston will provide relief to thousands of migrants from Afghanistan, Latin America and Ukraine who were granted a two-year 'parole' to live in the country under programmes established by Democratic former President Joe Biden's administration. The same judge had previously blocked the Trump administration from revoking the parole status of hundreds of thousands of Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans. The administration has asked the US Supreme Court to pause her decision. Talwani, an appointee of Democratic former President Barack Obama, rejected the Trump administration's claim that suspending the parole programmes was within its broad discretion to direct immigration policy. Federal law still requires agencies under the US department of homeland security to follow a lengthy process for granting or denying parole and other immigration relief, she wrote in siding with migrants pursuing a class-action lawsuit. 'We are pleased that the court has again rightly recognised the harm the government's arbitrary decision-making has inflicted on innocent people,' Anwen Hughes, a lawyer for the plaintiffs at Human Rights First, said in a statement. The homeland security department did not respond to requests for comment. The ruling came on the same day as a US trade court decision to block Trump's tariffs from going into effect, delivering simultaneous blows to two of the president's core agendas around trade and immigration. The decision came in a lawsuit challenging a pause on the processing of applications from Ukrainian, Afghan, Cuban, Haitian, Nicaraguan and Venezuelan migrants either seeking to be granted entry through the parole process or who have already been granted that status and are seeking to stay. Talwani's decision focused on policies adopted after Trump on his first day back in office on January 20 signed an executive order directing it to end the Biden-era parole programme. In a memo that day, acting homeland security secretary Benjamine Huffman directed agencies under his purview to pause, modify or terminate any categorical parole programmes, which he asserted were not authorised by law as parole could only be granted on a case-by-case basis. DHS officials subsequently stopped processing new parole applications and in mid-February barred staff from considering requests from migrants from Ukraine and Latin America who had already been granted parole to pursue other forms of immigration status, such as asylum or temporary protected status.
UPI
3 days ago
- Politics
- UPI
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."
The National
07-05-2025
- Politics
- The National
Could Amal Clooney be barred from US due to ICC sanctions?
A human rights group has filed a lawsuit against President Donald Trump's administration that challenges the executive order calling for sanctions on the International Criminal Court, saying the order unfairly targets lawyers, such as Amal Clooney, involved in ensuring accountability for war crime and other abuses. Ms Clooney, an international human rights lawyer and wife of actor George Clooney, could find herself unable to enter the US due to the executive order. Human Rights First, which filed the lawsuit on behalf of ICC trial lawyer Eric Iverson, violates the First Amendment to the US Constitution and puts lawyers at risk of criminal prosecution or steep civil financial penalties. The executive order, issued in February, states that the court "has engaged in illegitimate and baseless actions targeting America and our close ally Israel". It did not name the targets of the sanctions at the time, but said it would deny visas and issue sanctions against the assets of ICC officials and their families. The ICC's lead prosecutor Karim Khan last May issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defence chief Yoav Gallant, in addition to Hamas leaders, over the war in Gaza. British-Lebanese barrister Ms Clooney, who co-founded the Clooney Foundation for Justice, was part of a panel of advisers Mr Khan consulted before seeking the arrest warrants. She is a long-time human rights lawyer who was named Time 's Woman of the Year in 2022. 'These sanctions are not only an attack on international justice—they're an attack on the rule of law and those who dedicate their lives to upholding it,' said Uzra Zeya, president and chief executive of Human Rights First, which filed the suit on behalf of The Financial Times reported last month that the UK Foreign Office had warned senior British lawyers they are at risk due to the sanctions because of advice they provided to the ICC on the Israel case. In May 2024, Ms Clooney and the other members of the panel released a statement through the Times in which they stated there were 'reasonable grounds' to believe Mr Netanyahu and Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar bore criminal responsibility for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza and Israel. Mr Sinwar was killed in an Israeli strike in October. It is unclear how Ms Clooney's financial assets may be affected if she is included in the sanction. It is difficult to say what kind of visa Ms Clooney holds, but it can be assumed that she holds one that allows her to live and work in the US. As she is married to an American citizen - actor Clooney - she could have permanent residency, also known as a green card.
