Federal Judge Temporarily Halts Changes to Immigration Policies
A federal judge in Boston has issued an emergency ruling that temporarily prevents parts of the Trump administration’s immigration policy from taking effect. This policy would have affected tens of thousands of asylum seekers and immigrants with Temporary Protected Status (TPS) from El Salvador, Sudan, and Ukraine, stripping them of their work permits a day before the new guidelines were set to be implemented.
U.S. District Judge Nathaniel Gorton delivered a five-page order as part of the lawsuit, Venezuelan Association of Massachusetts and others v. USCIS et al. The case challenges the policies enacted by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) related to President Donald Trump’s tax and spending law, known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which was approved by Congress in July 2025. This legislation introduced new fees for asylum applications and restricted work permits for TPS holders.
The lawsuit was brought forth by Democracy Forward, representing various organizations including the Venezuelan Association of Massachusetts, National TPS Alliance, and the Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project (ASAP), among others. It contests three specific USCIS policies: the first allows denials of asylum applications and revocation of work permits if applicants fail to pay the new fees without prior notice or a chance to appeal. The second and third policies, stemming from the April 2026 Interim Final Rule, include the elimination of the requirement for USCIS to review initial asylum work authorization applications within 30 days and the retroactive application of new rules to TPS holders from El Salvador, Sudan, and Ukraine. The plaintiffs argue that these measures were implemented without the necessary public notice and comment period, infringing upon the Administrative Procedure Act and exceeding the agency’s authority.
While Judge Gorton did not entirely block the collection of asylum fees, he did temporarily prevent severe repercussions for nonpayment, such as denying asylum applications, revoking work permits, and initiating deportation proceedings. He noted, “The consequences facing plaintiffs are potentially severe,” and plans to rule on the possibility of a long-term injunction by August 5.
Skye Perryman, president of Democracy Forward, expressed relief over the ruling, stating, “This decision will protect thousands of asylum seekers and TPS holders from immediate and irreparable harm while this case moves forward. Without this relief, law-abiding families who relied on long-standing humanitarian protections faced the sudden revocation of their employment permits.”
As of Tuesday, USCIS had not issued an official response to the judge’s ruling.
This latest decision is part of a broader trend of federal court challenges against the Trump administration’s attempts to roll back TPS protections. In a significant 6-3 ruling in June, the U.S. Supreme Court permitted the administration to end TPS for Haitian and Syrian nationals. Additionally, a federal district court in Massachusetts had previously blocked the government from terminating TPS for Ethiopian citizens in April.
