A federal judge has blocked Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem’s attempt to cut short Temporary Protected Status (TPS) protections for more than 500,000 Haitian nationals living in the United States.
Noem had planned to end the TPS designation on Sept. 2—several months ahead of the timeline set by Congress, which extends protections until Aug. 3.
However, U.S. District Judge Brian Cogan ruled on Tuesday that Noem overstepped her authority by trying to change a statutory deadline.
Judge Cogan, an appointee of former President George W. Bush who was confirmed to the federal bench in 2006, is known for his careful and thorough approach to legal interpretation.
In his ruling, Cogan emphasized that TPS designations are controlled by statute and cannot be modified unilaterally by the executive branch.
He wrote that “Secretary Noem lacks the statutory or inherent power to partially vacate TPS designations,” deeming the move unlawful and beyond her jurisdiction.
TPS is a humanitarian program created to shield illegal immigrants from deportation when conditions in their home countries—such as war, political instability or natural disasters—make it unsafe for them to return.
Haiti has been under TPS since 2011 due to devastating hurricanes and ongoing political turmoil,