US Judge Blocks Trump Plan to Strip Work Rights from TPS Immigrants

A federal judge in Boston has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from ending work authorisation for tens of thousands of immigrants and asylum seekers with Temporary Protected Status (TPS). 

The order will remain in effect until at least 5 August while the court considers the case. US District Judge Nathaniel Gorton ruled on Tuesday that the administration cannot enforce new measures that would have reduced the right to work for TPS holders from El Salvador, Sudan and Ukraine. 

The decision followed a lawsuit by immigrant rights organisations, labour unions and the legal advocacy group Democracy Forward. The plaintiffs argued that the government introduced the changes without following the required legal process.

The temporary order will stay in place until at least 5 August, when Judge Gorton is expected to decide whether the block should continue.

TPS is a humanitarian programme introduced in 1990. It allows people from countries affected by armed conflict, natural disasters or other serious emergencies to live and work legally in the United States until conditions in their home countries improve. The Biden administration extended TPS protections for El Salvador, Sudan and Ukraine in early 2025.

The Trump administration has since moved to reduce the programme, and the Supreme Court last month allowed the government to end TPS protections for Haitians and Syrians. The legal dispute centres on legislation passed by the Republican-controlled Congress in July 2025.

The law introduced new fees for asylum applicants and stricter rules on work permits for TPS holders. The lawsuit argues that the Department of Homeland Security and US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) applied the new restrictions to people already covered by TPS, reducing the period they could legally work without clear authority under the law.

Under Judge Gorton's order, the administration may continue collecting the new fee but cannot cancel work permits or penalise TPS holders who do not pay it while the case is before the court. The ruling means those covered by the order can continue working for now. Skye Perryman, president of Democracy Forward, said the decision would prevent thousands of families from losing their livelihoods while the courts determine whether the administration's policies are lawful.

The case is part of a wider series of legal challenges to the administration's immigration policies, with Boston becoming a key location for several of the disputes. Judge Gorton, who was appointed by President George H.W. Bush, is one of the few judges on the court appointed by a Republican president.

The ruling provides temporary protection for affected TPS holders, but the legal dispute is not yet resolved. The administration is continuing its efforts to reduce TPS, and the hearing in August will determine whether the court extends the order beyond its current expiry date.