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US judge blocks Trump bid to strip work permits from immigrants

From Al Jazeera · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • A U.S. federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration from revoking work permits for tens of thousands of immigrants with Temporary Protected Status (TPS).
  • The ruling prevents the policy, set to take effect soon, from impacting asylum seekers and TPS holders from El Salvador, Sudan, and Ukraine.
  • Immigrant rights groups challenged the new policies, arguing they were implemented without public input and would cause severe harm.

A U.S. federal judge has issued a temporary block on the Trump administration's policy to revoke work permits for tens of thousands of immigrants, including those with Temporary Protected Status (TPS) from El Salvador, Sudan, and Ukraine. The decision by U.S. District Judge Nathaniel Gorton prevents the controversial policy from taking effect as early as Wednesday, offering a reprieve to asylum seekers and TPS holders.

The consequences faced by plaintiffs are potentially severe.

— Nathaniel GortonU.S. District Judge Nathaniel Gorton on the potential impact of the revoked work permits.

The lawsuit, filed by a coalition of organizations represented by Democracy Forward, challenged recent U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) policy changes. These changes included a new fee for asylum applications and a decision to scrap a rule requiring initial work permit applications to be processed within 30 days. The plaintiffs argued that USCIS implemented these changes without the legally required public input.

Judge Gorton stated in his order that "The consequences faced by plaintiffs are potentially severe." The temporary block will remain in place while the court considers a longer-term injunction, with a decision expected by August 5. This ruling ensures that thousands of TPS holders can continue working legally while the legal challenge proceeds.

This decision protects thousands of asylum seekers and TPS holders from immediate and irreparable harm while this case moves forward.

— Skye PerrymanDemocracy Forward president on the judge's ruling.

Skye Perryman, president of Democracy Forward, commented, "This decision protects thousands of asylum seekers and TPS holders from immediate and irreparable harm while this case moves forward." She added that without this relief, families who had followed the law and relied on humanitarian protections faced the sudden loss of their ability to support themselves.

Without this relief, families who have followed the law and relied on longstanding humanitarian protections faced the sudden loss of their employment authorisation and ability to support themselves through no fault of their own.

— Skye PerrymanDemocracy Forward president on the implications for immigrant families.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Al Jazeera. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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