Federal Judge Blocks Trump’s Early End to Haitian Protections
More than 350,000 Haitian nationals retain TPS through 2026 after a court rules the administration’s accelerated termination violated the law.
WASHINGTON – The Trump administration has been ordered to fully reinstate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian nationals through February 3, 2026, following a federal court ruling that struck down the Department of Homeland Security’s attempt to end protections ahead of schedule.
The DHS, led by Secretary Kristi Noem, had sought to terminate Haiti’s TPS designation five months early, citing improved conditions on the ground and alignment with the administration’s broader immigration enforcement strategy. But a federal judge in New York ruled that the shortened timeline violated statutory obligations, forcing the administration to preserve legal protections and work permits for more than 350,000 Haitians currently covered by the program.
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The setback comes amid broader immigration reforms being implemented by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), which is launching a slate of new visa-related fees mandated by the Republican-controlled Congress. The changes, taking effect July 22, are part of the sweeping 2025 budget law known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.”
The new USCIS fee schedule includes:
A $250 "visa integrity" fee on nonimmigrant visa issuances
A $24 fee for Form I‑94 arrival/departure records
A $100 annual fee for asylum applicants filing Form I‑589
A $1,000 fee for parole requests using Form I‑131, with limited exemptions
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USCIS will reject applications postmarked after August 21 if they do not include the updated fees. The majority of the new charges are not eligible for waivers, in keeping with provisions designed to reduce abuse of humanitarian programs and recoup agency costs. A portion of the new revenue will support USCIS operations; the remainder will be transferred to the U.S. Treasury.
Under Trump, DHS and USCIS have prioritized rapid adjudications, enforcement efficiency, and funding independence. The administration has framed the fee increases as essential to maintaining operational readiness and addressing a surge in parole and asylum applications following global instability.
The court's TPS decision, however, complicates the administration’s efforts to phase out temporary humanitarian programs that have, in Trump’s view, become permanent de facto amnesties. Despite the setback, DHS is expected to continue challenging court-imposed constraints and advancing administrative reforms through regulatory and budgetary channels.
Haitian nationals now have until early 2026 under federal protection—but beyond that date, their future remains politically and legally uncertain.
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