A federal judge in Boston has temporarily halted the Trump administration’s plan to revoke Family Reunification Parole, preserving legal status for more than 10,000 immigrants scheduled to lose protection next week. Judge Indira Talwani ruled that publishing the termination in the Federal Register did not fulfill the required direct written notice to affected parolees, and she noted many did not receive timely electronic alerts. Advocates had warned that 10,000–12,000 people could be impacted; the administration said about 15,000 hold the status. The order is a temporary reprieve while the court reviews the administration’s notice and due-process procedures.
Court Pauses Revocation Of Family Reunification Parole, Protecting 10,000+ Immigrants
A federal judge in Boston has temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s plan to revoke “family reunification parole,” preserving legal status for more than 10,000 immigrants who were scheduled to lose authorization next week.
U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani issued a temporary restraining order on Saturday that extends the parole status for individuals whose authorizations were set to expire on Wednesday as part of a broader enforcement effort. Talwani, an Obama appointee, found that immigration officials failed to provide the direct written notice required by law to those who might lose their status.
The government had published the termination in the Federal Register on Dec. 15 and said it would notify affected people through online accounts. In her five-page order, Talwani ruled that publication in the Federal Register did not satisfy the direct-notice requirement. She noted that some parolees received electronic notices only weeks after the announcement and others say they were never notified.
“Nothing in the record before the court suggests that most, let alone all, parolees do in fact have such accounts or when notice via such accounts was provided to the parolees,” Talwani wrote.
The planned revocation comes amid a broader set of enforcement actions, including the end of Temporary Protected Status for some populations, which advocates say has left many immigrants vulnerable. When the administration announced the termination of family reunification parole last month it said roughly 15,000 people held that status; immigrant advocates estimated that 10,000–12,000 could have lost legal status this week without court intervention. The cancellation does not immediately affect people who had pending applications for other immigration benefits at the time of the announcement.
Karen Tumlin of the Justice Action Center, a lawyer who brought one of the challenges, described the order as “a huge sigh of relief” for families. “This immediate pause on de-legalizing individuals who came here with Family Reunification Parole means that people will not be forced to separate from their loved ones next week,” she said, adding that many were close to receiving green cards.
Talwani previously blocked the administration’s attempt last April to end parole status and associated work permits for about 500,000 immigrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela. In May, the Supreme Court granted the administration’s emergency request to lift that earlier order; the majority provided no explanation, while two liberal justices dissented.
Spokespeople for the Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the restraining order.
What Happens Next
The restraining order is temporary and leaves open further litigation. The court will continue to review whether the administration met legal notice requirements and complied with due process before any permanent changes to parole status can take effect.
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