A coalition of immigrant advocacy groups has taken legal action against the Trump administration’s recent decision to strip deportation protections from thousands of Haitian and Venezuelan migrants residing in the United States. The lawsuit, filed in a Boston federal court, directly challenges Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s move to fast-track the expiration of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and work permits for 521,000 Haitians by August.
The administration’s abrupt reversal came after the previous leadership had extended Haiti’s TPS designation through 2026, a safeguard first established in 2010 following a catastrophic earthquake. In a parallel move, the Department of Homeland Security recently announced plans to accelerate the end of TPS protections for Venezuelans, a decision already facing multiple legal challenges. If the policy stands, approximately 348,000 Venezuelans could face deportation as soon as April, with the remaining 600,000 losing protections in September.
The lawsuit, brought by Haitian Americans United, the Venezuelan Association of Massachusetts, the UndocuBlack Network, and individual migrants, contends that the administration acted beyond its legal authority in revoking previously granted TPS extensions. It further argues that the decision was influenced by racial bias and political motives rather than the statutory criteria governing TPS protections.
Legal filings cite inflammatory remarks from Trump regarding Haitian and Venezuelan immigrants, including false claims about their living conditions in the United States. The lawsuit asserts that such rhetoric underscores a discriminatory intent, violating constitutional protections against racial and ethnic bias.
With the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands on the line, this legal battle is set to test the administration’s authority in reshaping U.S. immigration policy—and could have far-reaching implications for migrant communities across the country.
