A federal judge in Boston has temporarily blocked key components of immigration policies under the Trump administration, preventing the revocation of work permits for thousands of asylum seekers and Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders from countries like El Salvador, Sudan, and Ukraine. This action was taken just a day before the new measures were set to be implemented.
Judge Nathaniel Gorton issued the order in the case of Venezuelan Association of Massachusetts et al. v. USCIS et al., challenging policies by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) related to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Passed in July 2025, this legislation introduced an annual asylum application fee and imposed restrictions on work authorization for TPS holders. The plaintiffs, supported by organizations including Democracy Forward, the National TPS Alliance, and the Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project, argued that the new rules were enacted without the legally required public notice-and-comment period, a potential violation of the Administrative Procedure Act details reported.
The lawsuit targeted three specific USCIS policies: the new rule of rejecting asylum applications if the fee was not paid, the rescission of the 30-day deadline for adjudicating initial asylum work authorization applications, and the retroactive application of these new rules to certain TPS holders. The court did not halt the collection of the asylum fee but did block the automatic rejection of applications, termination of work permits, and the commencement of removal proceedings due to nonpayment.
Judge Gorton emphasized the potential severity of consequences faced by the plaintiffs and promised to consider a longer-term injunction by August 5. Skye Perryman, president of Democracy Forward, highlighted the relief this decision provides to many asylum seekers and TPS holders, allowing them to avoid immediate harm and maintain their work authorizations as the legal battle continues. Additional insights discuss how the court’s move represents another chapter in the broader judicial contestations over Trump-era policies aimed at limiting TPS.
This recent order follows a trend of court interventions concerning TPS. In a June decision, the US Supreme Court permitted the end of TPS for Haitian and Syrian nationals. Similarly, earlier measures to terminate TPS for Ethiopian nationals were blocked by the US District Court for the District of Massachusetts as noted.
As USCIS has yet to respond publicly to the Boston court’s decision, uncertainty looms over the future steps and potential adjustments to immigration policies in the wake of ongoing legal challenges.