Svitlana Doe v. Noem — Humanitarian Parole Class Action
Svitlana Doe v. Noem — Humanitarian Parole Class Action
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Justice Action Center (JAC) and Human Rights First (HRF) filed the lawsuit Svitlana Doe v. Noem on behalf of individual beneficiaries and sponsors of humanitarian parole processes–including the parole program for Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela (CHNV), Uniting for Ukraine (U4U), Operation Allies Welcome (OAW), Central American Minors parole (CAM), Family Reunification Parole (FRP), and military parole-in-place)–and on behalf of organizational plaintiff Haitian Bridge Alliance (HBA).
In the lawsuit, we are challenging the following actions taken by the Trump Administration:
- Pausing USCIS processing of all applications for parole and re-parole under these parole programs;
- Pausing the processing of requests for other immigration benefits submitted by or on behalf of parolees who came into the United States through these parole programs. This includes applications for asylum, TPS, certain visas, adjustment of status, and work authorization; and
- Ending the CHNV parole process and ending individual grants of CHNV parole as of April 24, 2025 (within 30 days of the Federal Register Notice published on March 25, 2025)
Class Member Questions
When a court certifies a class, any relief the court provides will apply to all class members, not just the named plaintiffs in the case. There are several certified classes in this case. As of May 28th, our class members include:
- CHNV beneficiaries whose parole is terminated by the March 25th FRN or with any other pending immigration benefits applications;
- CAM, Family Reunification Parole, MPIP, OAW, and U4U beneficiaries with pending applications for re-parole or any other immigration benefit;
- MPIP sponsors with pending applications for a family member’s initial MPIP parole
Unfortunately, this does not apply to 1) beneficiaries (or sponsors of beneficiaries) who voluntarily left and remain outside the U.S., and 2) beneficiaries or sponsors who choose to opt out of the class to sue separately.
If you are a class member and have questions about our litigation, please let us know using the “Submit a Question” button below! If you are not a class member, please reach out to our team here or below.
Class Action Updates
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As of May 30th, our class members include: (1) CHNV beneficiaries whose parole is terminated by the March 25th FRN or with any other pending immigration benefits applications; (2) CAM, Family Reunification Parole, MPIP, OAW, and U4U beneficiaries with pending applications for re-parole or any other immigration benefit; (3) MPIP sponsors with pending applications for a family member’s initial MPIP parole.
Latest Update
5/30/2025 — The Supreme Court granted the government’s request to block the district court’s order while the appeal at the First Circuit Court of Appeal proceeds. This means that the government’s March 25th Federal Register Notice is now in effect, and all grants of CHNV parole and work authorizations of CHNV parole beneficiaries are terminated as of May 30, 2025.
The appeal of the district court’s order will continue with the First Circuit.
5/28/2025 — A federal judge in Massachusetts issued two rulings in Svitlana Doe v. Noem , this time ordering the Trump administration to resume processing of applications for more lasting immigration status or benefits (such as work permits) filed by noncitizens who were granted lawful status in this country through categorical humanitarian parole programs. The court also certified a nationwide class to ensure that all impacted individuals meeting certain criteria are protected. This means that these humanitarian parole beneficiaries can once again pursue applications for more lasting and stable immigration status for which they are eligible by law, such as adjustment of status, Temporary Protected Status (TPS), asylum, and re-parole. The court’s order also means that initial applications and re-parole applications filed by the relatives of U.S. service members under Military Parole in Place must be adjudicated.
The court also certified additional classes in our case to ensure that all impacted individuals meeting certain criteria are protected.
Frequently Asked Questions:
🚧 Updates in progress! We are working to update our frequently asked questions (FAQs) to reflect the latest court decisions. 🚧 Last updated: 5/5/2025
Recent Developments for Class Members / Class Actions & Membership / For non-CHNV Parole Beneficiaries & Sponsors