A judge has halted the Trump administration’s move to end a program initiated during the Biden era that provided legal status to migrants from Cuba, Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Haiti. The ruling, issued in federal district court in Boston, prevents the immediate termination of the program, which was scheduled to expire on April 24. Over 500,000 individuals have benefited from this program, enabling them to legally reside and work in the United States.

Judge Indira Talwani, in her decision, highlighted the dilemma faced by migrants who would have had to choose between leaving the country voluntarily or facing removal proceedings if the program was terminated. This program, implemented by the previous administration, allowed eligible migrants from the specified countries to work in the US for up to two years if they had a financial sponsor and passed security screenings.

The Biden administration positioned this program as a strategic step to decrease unauthorized border crossings by establishing lawful pathways for entry. In contrast, the Trump administration argued that the program complicated immigration issues by offering protections to a significant number of individuals without a clear path to permanent residency.

This legal development is part of a larger trend where the Trump administration faces setbacks in its efforts to revoke various immigration protections. These include plans to repatriate Cameroonian and Afghan migrants who supported the US and a failed attempt to end Temporary Protected Status for Venezuelans, currently blocked by a federal court.