A federal judge has officially lifted the last court order delaying the Trump administration’s decision to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti, bringing an end—for now—to a months-long legal battle that reached the U.S. Supreme Court.
On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Ana C. Reyes of the District of Columbia issued an order confirming that her earlier stay blocking the termination of Haiti’s TPS designation is no longer in effect. The ruling follows the U.S. Supreme Court’s June 25 decision in Mullin v. Doe, which allowed the administration to move forward with ending TPS protections for Haiti and Syria.
Judge Reyes had previously halted the termination in February after finding that the plaintiffs were likely to succeed on claims that the administration may have violated the Administrative Procedure Act and equal protection principles. That decision temporarily preserved legal status and work authorization for approximately 350,000 Haitian TPS holders while the case moved through the courts.
The Supreme Court later ruled, in a 6-3 decision, that federal courts have limited authority to review the Department of Homeland Security’s decisions regarding TPS designations. The Court also found that the legal challenge to Haiti’s TPS termination was unlikely to succeed, clearing the way for the lower court’s stay to be lifted.
As a result, USCIS implemented the termination of Haiti’s TPS designation, with protections and Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) issued under TPS no longer remaining valid after the designated end date. The ruling leaves many Haitian nationals who had lived and worked legally in the United States facing an uncertain future unless they qualify for another form of immigration relief.
Although the judge’s latest order formally removes the temporary block, the underlying lawsuit has not been dismissed. Judge Reyes directed both sides to submit a new briefing schedule as litigation continues on remaining legal issues. She also denied the federal government’s request to pause discovery in the case.
The decision marks another significant development in the ongoing legal fight over Haiti’s TPS designation, as immigration advocates continue to explore additional legal options while urging affected individuals to consult qualified immigration attorneys about their status and any potential forms of relief.
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