Judge halts Trump administration's termination of Venezuelan protections

In San Francisco, California, on April 1, 2025, U.S. District Judge Edward Chen ordered a pause on the Trump administration's plans to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Venezuelan migrants. This decision was prompted by a lawsuit filed by the National TPS Alliance, which argued that the actions of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem were unlawful, arbitrary, and motivated by racial bias. Under Noem's initial announcement, approximately 350,000 Venezuelans were set to lose their deportation protections and work permits that had been granted under the Biden administration. Judge Chen's ruling highlighted the potential for irreparable harm to the lives and families of TPS beneficiaries if the program ended without adequate notice. The judge pointed out that ending TPS would result in severe disruption of livelihoods and a significant negative economic impact on the United States. According to Chen, the Secretary of Homeland Security failed to demonstrate any compelling reason to terminate the TPS program for Venezuelans, whose home country is currently experiencing dire conditions including political unrest and economic collapse. This ruling reflects a postponement of a broader immigration enforcement strategy proposed by the Trump administration aimed at severely limiting immigration protections generally and TPS specifically. Initially enacted by Congress in 1990, the TPS program allows designated migrants from countries affected by humanitarian crises to remain in the U.S. temporarily. The Biden administration significantly expanded TPS eligibility, but the Trump administration's recent reversal represents a shift back toward stricter immigration controls. The implications of Judge Chen's ruling are significant, as it not only protects hundreds of thousands of Venezuelan migrants from deportation until the case is adjudicated, but also raises questions about the authority of the Secretary of Homeland Security to unilaterally terminate such protections. Advocates and attorneys representing the plaintiffs have expressed optimism about the decision, underscoring its importance in safeguarding vulnerable communities, while the administration has one week to consider their options for appealing this ruling.