District court maintains pause on DHS termination order as judge publicly condemns threats against her and other members of the judiciary.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
A federal judge on Thursday upheld her prior order postponing the termination of temporary protected status (TPS) for approximately 350,000 Haitian nationals residing in the United States, rejecting a Justice Department request to rescind the stay while the matter proceeds on appeal.
U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes denied the government’s motion following arguments from both sides, stating she would issue a written order before Feb. 19, the next deadline in the case before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. The Justice Department had appealed her earlier ruling but simultaneously asked her to withdraw it.
Reyes’ stay blocks Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s decision to terminate TPS for Haitians. In her order, Reyes wrote: “During the stay, the Termination shall be null, void, and of no legal effect.” She added that the termination “does not affect the protections and benefits previously conferred by the TPS designation, including work authorization and protection from detention and deportation, and the valid period of work authorization extends during the stay.”
Temporary protected status provides certain foreign nationals with protection from removal and authorization to work in the United States when conditions in their home country are deemed unsafe for return.
At the conclusion of Thursday’s hearing, Reyes addressed what she described as an “important” matter for the record, turning to threats she said she has received in connection with the case.
“People are entitled to their views,” Reyes said, noting that she is an immigrant and openly LGBTQ. “I am an immigrant. I did not hide that from the president of the United States… or from the U.S. Senate.”
She said she has heard questions about “how someone like me, an immigrant and a lesbian, could get this job,” and remarked that critics do not discuss her academic and professional credentials, including graduating magna cum laude from Harvard Law School and practicing law for 22 years at a major firm.
Reyes then read aloud excerpts from threatening messages she said were sent to her chambers.
“I don’t mind being called the C-word,” she said before quoting messages including: “I hope you lose your life by lunchtime… God d— you. I hope you die today… The best way you could help America is to eat a bullet.” She also cited a social media post that read, “Hang the b—.”
“Many of my colleagues have received threats,” Reyes said, adding that threats have extended to judges’ families. “To those who would threaten judges… we will act without fear or favor.… We will continue to do our jobs.… We will not be intimidated.”
The case now proceeds before the D.C. Circuit as the temporary stay remains in effect pending further judicial review.
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