U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes in Washington granted a request to pause the termination of temporary protected status for Haitians. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
The judge also said the plaintiffs were likely to succeed on the merits of their case and found it "substantially likely" that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem had preordained the decision because of "hostility to nonwhite immigrants."
TPS can be granted by the Homeland Security secretary when conditions in a foreign country are deemed unsafe because of natural disasters, armed conflict or other extraordinary circumstances.
Haiti first received the designation in 2010 after a catastrophic earthquake and has remained under TPS because of political instability, natural disasters and surging gang violence.
The designation has been extended several times.
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Violence in Haiti continues as gangs wreak havoc in Port-au-Prince March 2024. Photo by Project Dynamo (Project Dynamo)
Government attorneys argued that allegations of racial bias relied on statements taken out of context and insisted Noem provided "reasoned, facially sufficient explanations" for ending the protections.
A DHS notice issued in November had also pointed to the authorization of a new force to combat gangs and determined that continued TPS for Haitians was against the national interest.
Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said that "Haiti’s TPS was granted following an earthquake that took place over 15 years ago."
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"It was never intended to be a de facto amnesty program, yet that’s how previous administrations have used it for decades," McLaughlin said in a statement.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for comment.
Emma Bussey is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital. Before joining Fox, she worked at The Telegraph with the U.S. overnight team, across desks including foreign, politics, news, sport and culture.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-administration-blocked-ending-temporary-protected-status-haitians