NY Judge Blocks Yemen TPS Termination

A federal judge in New York indefinitely blocked the Trump administration from ending Temporary Protected Status for thousands of Yemeni nationals living legally in the United States, ruling that the Department of Homeland Security failed to follow congressionally mandated procedures.

U.S. District Judge Dale Ho issued the order Friday in lawsuits brought by a class of about 3,200 plaintiffs, including current TPS holders and applicants. The decision halts a March termination notice from then-DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, which had set an end date of early May and required beneficiaries without other legal status to depart or face deportation.

Ho found that Noem did not conduct the required consultation with other agencies on Yemen's conditions before issuing the notice. Federal law demands an objective review of factors like armed conflict and risks to nationals' safety before terminating TPS. The judge described DHS communications with the State Department as perfunctory, consisting of brief emails that did not address Yemen-specific conditions such as ongoing violence or return risks.

"Absolutely no information about the relevant conditions in Yemen i.e., armed conflict and...