The judicial branch is at war with the Trump admin. They’ll do anything to stop the White House in its tracks.
And now a rogue federal judge has slapped Trump and company with an eviscerating court order.
Federal Judge Blocks Trump Admin’s Bid to End Haitian TPS
A federal judge in New York has halted the Trump administration’s move to terminate immigration protections for Haitians escaping turmoil in their homeland. The decision, issued Friday by U.S. District Judge Brian Cogan, ensures that the Biden administration’s 2024 extension of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for up to 500,000 Haitians in the U.S. remains in place for now.
The ruling marks a setback for the Trump administration’s ongoing efforts to scale back TPS and other immigration programs that allow individuals from crisis-stricken countries to live and work legally in the United States. Judge Cogan’s 23-page decision comes as the administration seeks to fulfill President Trump’s campaign promises to tighten immigration policies and prioritize enforcement.
Just four days before the ruling, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem announced that the TPS designation for Haitians would end on September 2, 2025. The Biden administration had previously extended the protections until February 3, 2026, offering a lifeline to Haitians fleeing instability. Noem’s decision would have cut short that extension, affecting nearly 350,000 Haitian TPS recipients.
Cogan, appointed by President George W. Bush, ruled that Noem’s termination violated the TPS statute. The law requires early notice to recipients and prohibits ending protections before an existing extension expires. The judge emphasized that the government’s abrupt move disregarded these requirements.
“When the Government confers a benefit over a fixed period of time, a beneficiary can reasonably expect to receive that benefit at least until the end of that fixed period,” Cogan wrote in his decision.
The judge further noted that Haitian TPS holders have built lives in the U.S., enrolling in schools, securing jobs, and accessing medical care based on the government’s prior assurances about the duration of their protections. Ending TPS early, Cogan argued, would disrupt these expectations.
“Secretary Noem cannot reconsider Haiti’s TPS designation in a way that takes effect before February 3, 2026,” the judge stated, reinforcing the legal protections for Haitian migrants. Some legal experts have questioned the “practicality” jurisprudence Judges like Cogan have been employing against Trump’s executive orders as opposed to weighing them on merits of the law alone.
Our heroic ICE law enforcement officers are facing a nearly 700% increase in assaults against them.
If you obstruct or assault our law enforcement, this administration will hunt you down and you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. pic.twitter.com/eUtGlU1SqM
— Kristi Noem (@KristiNoem) July 2, 2025
TPS designations hinge on conditions in a recipient’s home country, such as armed conflict, civil unrest, or widespread human rights abuses. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) argued last week that Haiti’s “environmental situation” has stabilized enough for citizens to return safely. However, the State Department continues to warn Americans against traveling to Haiti due to rampant kidnapping, crime, civil unrest, and limited healthcare access.
The Trump administration has prioritized dismantling TPS and parole programs for over a million immigrants from countries like Haiti, Cuba, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Cameroon, and Afghanistan. The push aligns with President Trump’s commitment to curb what he describes as misuse of the immigration system.
Haiti’s TPS program, first granted in 2010 following a devastating earthquake, currently shields nearly 350,000 Haitians from deportation, allowing them to work legally in the U.S. The Biden administration’s extension aimed to maintain these protections through early 2026, citing ongoing gang violence and humanitarian challenges in Haiti.
DHS’s announcement last week stated that TPS benefits for Haitians would end in September 2025, leaving recipients at risk of losing work authorization and facing deportation unless they qualify for other legal statuses. The department defended the move, emphasizing that TPS is meant to be temporary.
The White House swiftly responded to Cogan’s ruling, vowing to appeal. “District courts have no authority to prohibit the Executive Branch from enforcing immigration laws or from terminating discretionary temporary benefit programs,” said White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson. She expressed confidence that the ruling would be overturned, stating, “President Trump will continue delivering on his promises to end the exploitation of our immigration system.”
Immigration advocates have countered DHS’s claims, pointing to persistent gang violence and health crises in Haiti as evidence that the country remains unsafe for return. They argue that ending TPS prematurely would endanger lives and destabilize communities in the U.S. and Haiti.
The Trump administration’s immigration agenda includes winding down TPS for other nations. In May, the Supreme Court permitted the administration to terminate TPS for approximately 350,000 Venezuelans, overturning a lower court’s ruling. That decision bolstered the administration’s efforts to limit protections for migrants from crisis-hit countries.
Cogan’s ruling represents a temporary victory for Haitian TPS recipients, preserving their ability to live and work in the U.S. until the appeal process unfolds or the Biden-era extension expires in February 2026.
Stay tuned to the DC Daily Journal.
