A federal judge has stepped in to temporarily block the administration of Donald Trump from ending a humanitarian immigration protection that allows more than 1,000 Somali nationals to live and work in the United States.
The order, issued by U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs in Boston, pauses a decision by the United States Department of Homeland Security to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Somali migrants. The policy was scheduled to expire on March 17.
By freezing the deadline, the court ensured that the existing protections remain in place while a legal challenge from Somali immigrants and advocacy groups moves forward.
In her order, the judge pointed to the potentially severe consequences if the protection vanished overnight. According to the lawsuit, more than a thousand Somali nationals could face detention, deportation, or exposure to violence if returned to Somalia. The filing also warned that families could be torn apart if some members were forced to leave while others remained in the United States.
The ruling does not settle the broader dispute. Instead, it delays the policy change so the court can examine whether the government’s decision to cancel TPS complied with legal requirements. A timetable has been set for further arguments as the court weighs whether to impose a longer-lasting block.
Officials at the homeland security department criticized the decision, describing it as another example of courts interfering with the administration’s attempt to reshape the U.S. immigration system.
Temporary Protected Status is designed to shield migrants from deportation when their home countries face crises such as armed conflict or natural disasters. Holders of the designation can legally live and work in the United States for as long as the protection remains in effect.
The Somali designation has been in place for years due to instability in the country, where government forces continue to battle the militant group al‑Shabaab.
Earlier this year, homeland security leadership argued that conditions in Somalia had improved enough to justify ending the program. That announcement triggered a legal challenge from Somali migrants and immigrant-rights organizations, which claim the decision was flawed and motivated by discriminatory bias rather than an objective assessment of conditions in the country.
The lawsuit also cited controversial public remarks by Trump about Somali immigrants as evidence that the move was shaped by prejudice.
Advocacy groups involved in the case said the judge’s order offers temporary relief to a community that had been bracing for the loss of legal status within days. For now, Somali TPS holders will continue living and working in the United States as the courtroom battle unfolds.
