A preliminary injunction issued Jan. 25 blocks the administration from revoking the legal status of thousands of migrants admitted under family reunification parole programs from seven countries.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration from terminating Family Reunification Parole programs that allow foreign relatives of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents to live and work in the United States while pursuing permanent residency.
U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani issued a preliminary injunction on Jan. 25 preventing the Department of Homeland Security from revoking the legal status of migrants admitted under the program from Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, and Honduras. The ruling followed the administration’s announcement that it would end the program on Jan. 14, citing security concerns and alleged deficiencies in vetting procedures.
The Family Reunification Parole program permits U.S. citizens and green card holders to bring qualifying relatives to the United States as an initial step toward lawful permanent residence. DHS argued that the program posed security risks due to insufficient screening and said it intended to return parole authority to a strictly case-by-case basis.
The termination effort was first paused on Jan. 10, when Talwani issued a temporary restraining order halting the revocation through Jan. 24 after a group of migrants who entered the country under the program filed a lawsuit challenging the decision.
In a 42-page ruling issued the following day, Talwani said DHS failed to account for the reliance interests of current parolees, many of whom sold homes, left employment, and relocated based on government approval of their applications. The judge concluded that the plaintiffs were likely to succeed on claims that the agency’s decision was “arbitrary and capricious.”
“The Secretary could not provide a reasoned explanation of the agency’s change in policy without acknowledging these interests,” Talwani wrote. “Accordingly, failure to do so was arbitrary and capricious.”
The ruling rejected DHS assertions that existing parolees had benefited from inadequate vetting or widespread fraud, noting the agency did not present evidence to substantiate those claims in its decision-making process.
Esther Sung, legal director of the Justice Action Center, which represents the plaintiffs, welcomed the decision in a public statement.
“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,” Sung said. “These families should be able to live their lives and pursue their immigration cases peacefully and without fear that they will be ripped away from their loved ones.”
The Epoch Times contacted DHS for comment but did not receive a response by publication time.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services said in December 2025 that vulnerabilities in the Family Reunification Parole program had allowed malicious actors to exploit gaps in screening, creating what the agency described as “an unacceptable level of risk.” In a Dec. 12, 2025, public alert, DHS said parole “was never intended to be used in this way” and described the planned termination as a return to congressional intent and an “America First” immigration approach.
The preliminary injunction keeps the program in place while litigation continues, preserving the legal status of current parolees as the court reviews the administration’s broader authority to dismantle the program.