Federal Judge Lifts Stay on Temporary Protected Status for Somali Immigrants

A federal judge in Massachusetts has lifted a temporary stay that protected Somali immigrants with temporary protected status (TPS), allowing the Trump administration to proceed with plans to end their protections and initiate deportations. U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs made this decision following a Supreme Court ruling that federal courts do not have the authority to review the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) termination of TPS designations. The Supreme Court's June ruling in the case of Mullin v. Doe affirmed that federal law generally prohibits judicial review of DHS decisions regarding TPS. The plaintiffs had filed a lawsuit on March 9 to block the termination of TPS for Somalia, which was first designated in 1991. Judge Burroughs noted that while the plaintiffs demonstrated potential irreparable harm, they did not establish a likelihood of success on the legal merits of their case. The judge also acknowledged arguments regarding former President Trump's comments about Somali immigrants but found them insufficient to support an equal protection challenge.