In a sharp rebuke to the Trump administration’s push to end deportation relief for over half a million Haitians, a federal judge in Brooklyn blocked the attempt, declaring the move illegal and procedurally flawed.
At the center of the storm is Temporary Protected Status (TPS), a humanitarian designation that has allowed Haitian nationals to live and work in the U.S. since the 2010 earthquake devastated their country. The Biden administration extended this protection until February 2026. But in February 2025, Homeland Security under Trump-aligned Secretary Kristi Noem abruptly tried to terminate the extension—setting a new expiration date of August 3, later delayed to September 2.
Judge Brian Cogan wasn’t having it. In his ruling, he made clear that Noem’s decision skipped a legally required process and ignored Congress’s roadmap for evaluating TPS. “Secretary Noem does not have statutory or inherent authority to partially vacate a country’s TPS designation,” he wrote, ruling the action “unlawful.”
He emphasized that the interests of Haitian TPS holders—many of whom have built lives, families, and careers in the U.S.—“far outweigh” any hypothetical harm to the federal government. The administration still retains the power to revise or end TPS, he noted, but must do so within legal bounds.
The lawsuit that led to this decision was filed in March by nine Haitian immigrants, a union, and a group of churches. They argued that Noem failed to review Haiti’s current conditions—where gang violence continues to ravage communities and displace families—before issuing the cancellation.
This ruling marks another legal roadblock in Trump’s broader crackdown on immigration, both legal and undocumented. During his previous term, courts blocked many of his efforts to rescind TPS designations, and this new attempt appears to be facing a similar fate. Noem has echoed Trump’s hardline policies and recently moved to end TPS for Venezuelans, Afghans, and Cameroonians as well.
Homeland Security, meanwhile, decried the judge’s decision. A spokesperson called the ruling a political interference with presidential powers, insisting it delays the administration’s effort to “restore order” to immigration policy. The government is expected to appeal.
The plaintiffs also raised constitutional concerns, alleging that the move to end TPS was racially motivated—a claim that gained traction after Trump made inflammatory remarks during a 2024 debate, falsely suggesting Haitian immigrants were harming pets in Ohio. Those comments sparked outrage and added fuel to the argument that discriminatory intent tainted the policy.
For now, Haitian TPS holders can breathe a temporary sigh of relief. But with an appeal likely and the Supreme Court recently allowing TPS to end for Venezuelans, the future remains uncertain. Still, advocates see the ruling as a major win—at least for now—in what promises to be a long legal battle.
