US judge halts Trump’s effort to strip Venezuelans' protected status, citing 'racism'
US district judge blocks Trump administration from ending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 350,000 Venezuelan migrants over lack of evidence
US deports members of Venezuela's Tren de Aragua gang and members of the MS-13 gang to El Salvador's mega-prison
ISTANBUL
A federal judge has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from revoking Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for nearly 350,000 Venezuelans, calling the move "baseless" and "smacking of racism."
US District Judge Edward Chen issued the ruling Monday, halting a directive from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem that would have stripped legal protections allowing Venezuelans to live and work in the US.
The decision follows a lawsuit from the National TPS Alliance, which represents thousands of TPS holders.
Chen condemned the administration’s justification for ending TPS, particularly claims that Venezuelan migrants are tied to the Tren de Aragua gang.
"Generalization of criminality to the Venezuelan TPS population as a whole is baseless and smacks of racism predicated on generalized false stereotypes," Chen wrote in his ruling.
He further noted that TPS holders "work, spend money, and pay taxes," making them vital contributors to the US economy.
The court also criticized the administration’s claim that Venezuelan migrants are imposing financial burdens on local communities, calling it "entirely lacking in evidentiary support."
Chen’s ruling preserves protections extended under the Biden administration due to political instability and economic turmoil in Venezuela under President Nicolas Maduro.
The Trump administration has one week to appeal the decision. Meanwhile, a separate legal battle looms over a similar policy targeting 25,000 Venezuelans and 500,000 Haitians.
In a related case, Judge James Boasberg is reviewing whether the administration defied a previous court order by secretly invoking the Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelans accused of gang affiliation.
On March 15, a federal judge blocked a deportation flight to El Salvador, ordering the plane to turn back before reaching its destination. The administration has since appealed to the Supreme Court.
Despite the legal setbacks, the Trump administration deported 17 alleged gang members to El Salvador over the weekend under the Immigration and Nationality Act, rather than the contested Alien Enemies Act.
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