A federal judge on Monday issued a ruling that temporarily halted the Trump administration’s plan to end temporary legal protections for hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans living in the United States, providing a major relief to approximately 350,000 Venezuelans whose Temporary Protected Status (TPS) was set to expire on April 7, 2025.
U.S. District Judge Edward Chen, based in San Francisco, stated that the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) actions under Secretary Kristi Noem to rescind TPS protections were “arbitrary and capricious,” and would cause “irreparable harm” to affected individuals and the U.S. economy. In his ruling, Chen explained that terminating TPS for these Venezuelans would disrupt their lives, families, and livelihoods, ultimately costing the United States billions in lost economic activity and harming public health and safety across various communities.
Chen added that the government had failed to show any significant harm that would justify ending the TPS protections and said the plaintiffs—who included immigrant advocacy organizations—are likely to succeed in proving that Noem’s actions were “unauthorized by law,” motivated by “unconstitutional animus.”
The judge’s order applies nationally, temporarily extending the legal protections granted to Venezuelans under the TPS program. This decision is part of a broader legal battle regarding the Trump administration’s attempts to reverse TPS designations for several countries, including Venezuela, Haiti, and others.
The ruling comes just days before the TPS protections were set to end on April 7, a move that would have left tens of thousands of Venezuelans at risk of deportation. The protections, originally put in place in 2021 by the Biden administration, were extended by DHS to cover those who had fled the ongoing crisis in Venezuela. However, the Trump administration, under Noem’s direction, sought to terminate these protections, arguing that the situation in Venezuela had improved enough to allow for repatriation.
Immigrant advocates celebrated the ruling, viewing it as a significant victory. Pablo Alvarado, co-executive director of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, called it “a good day for the migrant community” and emphasized the importance of continued activism for immigrant rights. “It takes so much courage to come forward and say, ‘Here I am, and I’m going to fight for this,'” Alvarado said. “We’re not going to throw anyone under the bus. We’re going to fight for everyone because everyone is deserving.”
Meanwhile, the Trump administration has signaled its intention to appeal the ruling. The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees the TPS program, has yet to respond publicly to the judge’s decision. A one-week window for filing an appeal has been granted, and the plaintiffs will also have the opportunity to file a motion to extend protections for another 500,000 Haitians whose TPS status is set to expire in August.
The TPS program, which was created by Congress in 1990, allows foreign nationals who are unable to return to their home countries due to natural disasters, armed conflicts, or other unsafe conditions, to live and work in the United States on a temporary basis. Critics of the Trump administration’s policies argue that the decision to revoke TPS for Venezuelans is part of a broader anti-immigrant agenda that unfairly targets vulnerable populations.
TPS holders, particularly from Venezuela, have faced growing uncertainty in the lead-up to the April 7 expiration date. Legal experts and immigrant rights advocates have repeatedly warned of the devastating impact that ending TPS could have on individuals and families, many of whom have lived in the U.S. for years, contributing to the economy and becoming integral parts of their communities.
In his ruling, Judge Chen also addressed the racial animus behind the efforts to revoke TPS for Venezuelans, citing derogatory comments made by both Secretary Noem and former President Donald Trump about Venezuelans. Chen stated that such remarks were consistent with racial stereotyping, which he described as “the classic example of racism.”
In addition to the Venezuelan issue, the Trump administration has also moved to revoke TPS protections for other immigrant groups, including Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Cubans, as part of a broader effort to curtail temporary protections for hundreds of thousands of people. Critics argue that the Trump administration’s aggressive stance on immigration and the revocation of these protections could lead to widespread hardship for communities already facing significant challenges.
As the legal battle over TPS continues, the status of hundreds of thousands of immigrants hangs in the balance. For now, Venezuelans are breathing a sigh of relief, but the future of the program remains uncertain as the Trump administration prepares to challenge the court’s ruling.
