BREAKING: Federal Judge Blocks Trump’s Push to End TPS for Syrians
More than 6,100 Syrians keep legal status as court halts abrupt TPS termination days before deadline, citing harm and ongoing conflict.
WASHINGTON — In a dramatic courtroom development just days before thousands of Syrians faced possible deportation, today Judge Katherine Polk Failla of the Southern District of New York ordered the Trump administration to halt its push to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for nationals from Syria, citing the severe risks of immediate termination.
The court’s decision, delivered verbally with a written order to follow, grants a crucial reprieve to more than 6,100 Syrians who, as of Friday, would have lost their ability to live and work lawfully in the United States and may have been forced to return to a country still racked by nearly 14 years of civil war.
The ruling arrives after a coalition—comprising the International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP), Muslim Advocates, and Van Der Hout LLP—challenged the legality of the administration’s attempt to strip TPS from Syrian immigrants, arguing that the process violated federal law.
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Their lawsuit, filed last month on behalf of Syrian TPS holders and applicants, underscored the ongoing instability in Syria and the government’s failure to follow the process Congress established for reviewing TPS designations.
“The court recognized the immense harm Syrian TPS holders would suffer if the government’s plan to illegally terminate their status was allowed to take effect this week,” said Lupe Aguirre, Senior Litigation Attorney at IRAP.
“Thousands of people who have built their lives here—students, elderly people, parents, doctors, teachers, and other professionals—would have lost their ability to live and work with authorization… with devastating repercussions on their lives and communities.” She accused the administration of pursuing a “war on TPS… rooted in bias, not facts.”
Sadaf Hasan, Staff Attorney at Muslim Advocates, said the court’s intervention was a crucial check on “the government’s broader racist and anti-immigrant agenda to eliminate access to TPS for countless other non-white immigrant communities,” describing the abrupt cancellation of protections as “playing with human lives.”
Johnny Sinodis, a partner at Van Der Hout LLP, called today’s order “a halt to the plainly unlawful decision” and highlighted that courts nationwide have routinely pushed back against actions that violate legal procedures set by Congress. “This Court has reminded the administration of its obligation to follow the law,” Sinodis said.
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For Syrian TPS holders, today’s ruling is not only temporary relief but also a recognition of the dangers of return and the contributions they make to the U.S. Farrah AlKhorfan, co-founder of Immigrants Act Now, welcomed the reprieve, calling it “a chance for Syrian families to continue their lives safely while the case moves forward.”
Without the court’s emergency intervention, the Trump administration’s order would have gone into effect on Friday, November 21, stripping thousands of their right to remain in the United States. The decision by Judge [name pending written order] allows TPS protections to stay in place while litigation continues, with advocates vowing to press forward on behalf of all those at risk.
TPS is a humanitarian program that allows foreign nationals from designated countries experiencing war, natural disaster, or extraordinary instability to live and work legally in the United States. Syria’s designation is based on ongoing civil conflict, with advocates and experts emphasizing that deporting individuals to the country at this moment could expose them to grave harm.
What’s Next:
A written order is expected in the coming days. Whether the injunction remains in place—and for how long—will determine the fate of thousands of Syrians currently protected under TPS as they await a final ruling on the underlying lawsuit.
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i read where person of "Ukrainian citizenship?" were deported to Ukraine even though they might be conscripted to fight in the war which goes against the law mentioned in the article. . The ones sent to Ukraine include persons who grew up in the USA.
There are days where we Americans have been so gaslighted by this regime, it feels hopeless. To read that a judge recognizes the devastating hardship and the illegality of trying to end TPS based on bias and not facts is amazing and reassuring. 💪🏼💕🇺🇸