FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
BOSTON — A federal judge issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) today to stop the Trump administration from taking away people’s legal status under the Family Reunification Parole (FRP) program. The TRO is in effect for 14 days and will expire January 24. It could be extended if there is a further order from the court before that time. This order comes days before more than 10,000 future green card holders faced losing lawful status after the Trump administration announced it would revoke their permission to be in this country. This change in policy, announced in mid-December 2025, left green card holders and U.S. citizen sponsors scrambling to gain clarity for their immigrant family members who had already shown eligibility for future green cards. The court heard arguments from the government and from attorneys for plaintiffs yesterday before issuing its ruling.
The court also certified a nationwide sub-class of impacted individuals, so today’s ruling applies to all individuals in the U.S. on valid grants of FRP. Because the court certified this new sub-class of FRP beneficiaries, it means that all beneficiaries of FRP parole who are subject to the FRN’s termination will benefit from any relief obtained as litigation in Svitlana Doe v. Noem continues.
“Today, we join families across the country in breathing a huge sigh of relief. While we aren’t in the clear, 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,” said Karen Tumlin, director of Justice Action Center. “We are talking about people who have done everything the U.S. government has asked of them and who, in many cases, are mere weeks or months from finally receiving their green cards. It’s cruel and completely unnecessary for the Trump administration to try to yank the rug out from under them, and we will continue to fight to ensure they can retain their lawful status and remain safe and secure with their loved ones.”
“We are pleased that the judge understood the gravity and urgency of this situation and acted quickly to ensure the immediate safety of these families,” said Anwen Hughes, senior director of legal strategy and legal initiatives at Human Rights First. “This latest action by the Trump administration would harm immigrants throughout the country who have done everything the U.S. government has asked of them in order to be here.”
On December 29, 2025, Justice Action Center and Human Rights First rushed into court on behalf of family members of U.S. citizens and Lawful Permanent Residents waiting to become eligible to apply for green cards whose parole status would have been revoked next week. These people, who entered the United States under FRP, are represented by five new plaintiffs added to Svitlana Doe v. Noem, the class action lawsuit filed on behalf of humanitarian parole beneficiaries, sponsors, and Haitian Bridge Alliance. The plaintiffs had asked the court to block the Trump administration’s Federal Register Notice revoking FRP beneficiaries’ lawful status and to allow the plaintiffs to incorporate this effort into their existing lawsuit to protect parole.
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Justice Action Center (JAC) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to fighting for greater justice for immigrant communities by combining litigation and storytelling. JAC is committed to bringing additional litigation resources to address unmet needs, empower clients, and change the corrosive narrative around immigrants in the U.S. Learn more at justiceactioncenter.org and follow us on Bluesky Twitter/X, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
Human Rights First is a nonprofit, nonpartisan international human rights organization based in Los Angeles, New York, and Washington D.C. For nearly 50 years, Human Rights First has worked to create a just world in which every person’s intrinsic human rights are respected and protected. Learn more at humanrightsfirst.org and follow us on Twitter/X, Bluesky, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
Haitian Bridge Alliance (HBA), also known as “The Bridge”, is a grassroots community organization that advocates for fair and humane immigration policies and provides migrants and immigrants with humanitarian, legal, and social services, with a particular focus on Black migrants, the Haitian community, women and girls, LGBTQIA+ individuals, and survivors of torture and other human rights abuses. HBA also seeks to elevate the issues unique to Black migrants and builds solidarity and collective movement toward policy change. Anpil men chay pa lou (“Many hands make the load light”). Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. haitianbridge.org