A federal judge has halted the Trump administration’s effort to terminate a controversial Biden-era program that granted temporary legal status to over half a million migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. The program, known as CHNV (Cuba-Haiti-Nicaragua-Venezuela Parole), allowed these individuals to enter and remain in the United States for up to two years if they secured a sponsor and passed background checks.
Judge Indira Talwani ruled that the administration cannot mass-revoke legal status and work permits without first conducting individual case reviews. Her decision prevents the Department of Homeland Security from enforcing a previous directive requiring CHNV parole recipients to leave the country by April 24.
The ruling marks a legal setback for President Trump’s renewed push to enforce stricter immigration controls and reverse Biden-era executive actions that offered broad legal pathways to migrants. Trump officials had argued the CHNV program was illegally enacted, riddled with fraud, and created a magnet for mass migration under the guise of humanitarian relief.
Critics of the program—including state and federal lawmakers—have pointed to multiple cases where CHNV recipients committed crimes or bypassed traditional vetting processes by leveraging sponsorships of questionable legitimacy. Homeland Security officials also warned that the program was exploited by cartels and human smugglers as a loophole to funnel migrants into the U.S. interior.
Despite these concerns, Judge Talwani’s ruling makes clear that any revocation of status must be done on a case-by-case basis, citing due process protections. In essence, the court’s decision blocks the administration from using the same executive authority Biden used to create the program to now dismantle it wholesale.
Immigration advocates and left-wing legal groups quickly praised the ruling, calling it a victory for “human dignity” and “immigrant rights.” They argue the migrants entered the country legally under the terms Biden set and should be entitled to the same legal protections as any other parole recipient.
Supporters of President Trump say the ruling reflects the broader judicial obstacles conservatives face when trying to restore immigration control and undo unlawful executive actions. The administration is expected to appeal the decision, and officials are already preparing new legal strategies to challenge the CHNV program’s legitimacy in higher courts.
The Biden administration launched CHNV in early 2023 in response to record-high illegal crossings. It allowed select migrants to apply from abroad and enter legally if sponsored by U.S. residents. While it initially led to a dip in illegal entries, critics note the program failed to slow broader surges and created a new class of temporary residents with unclear long-term legal standing.
With this ruling, the status of more than 500,000 CHNV recipients remains in legal limbo. For now, their work permits and protections remain intact—but the fight over Biden’s immigration legacy is far from over.