A federal judge in Boston has temporarily blocked a policy that would have stripped tens of thousands of asylum seekers and holders of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) of their ability to work in the United States.
US District Judge Nathaniel Gorton sided with immigrant rights groups and labour unions who sued to prevent US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) from implementing the restrictions, which were enacted by Congress last year under a signature tax and spending law championed by President Donald Trump. The order remains in place until a ruling on a longer-term pause, expected by August 5.
The policy stemmed from legislation signed in July 2025, which for the first time imposed fees to apply for asylum and restricted employment authorisation for TPS holders. TPS allows migrants from countries affected by war, natural disaster or other crises to live and work in the US while it is unsafe to return.
Plaintiffs from Democracy Forward, a liberal legal group, argued that USCIS unlawfully implemented the new law's provisions without public notice and comment, as required by the Administrative Procedure Act, and applied them retroactively. The judge blocked USCIS from stripping work permits from TPS holders from El Salvador, Sudan and Ukraine, but allowed the agency to continue collecting the fee.
The ruling ensures thousands of families will not lose their livelihoods while courts consider the legality of the policies, said Democracy Forward's president. TPS remains valid for El Salvador until September 9 and for Sudan and Ukraine until October 19, although the Trump administration has sought to end TPS for many other countries.
