US Judge Blocks Move Against Yemeni Refugees, Criticises Trump Administration Over Special Status Rollback

US Judge Blocks Move to End Protected Status for Yemeni Refugees, Extends Stay

A federal judge on Friday temporarily blocked the Trump administration from requiring around 3,000 Yemeni refugees to leave the United States, extending their Temporary Protected Status (TPS) while a legal challenge continues.

US District Judge Dale E. Ho in Manhattan ruled that the protections — set to expire on Monday — must be extended for now, citing ongoing legal proceedings and humanitarian concerns.

The case concerns Yemeni nationals protected under TPS, a programme that allows people from countries facing conflict or disasters to remain legally in the US, work, and avoid deportation. Yemen was first designated for TPS in 2015 after the outbreak of its civil war, and the status has been extended several times since.

In his emergency order, Judge Ho noted that TPS recipients are “ordinary, law-abiding people” who could face serious risks if returned to a country still affected by armed conflict.

Judge criticises administration’s handling of TPS termination

The ruling comes amid broader immigration actions by the Trump administration, which has moved to end TPS protections for nationals from several countries, including Haiti, Venezuela, Ethiopia, and Yemen.

Judge Ho also criticised former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, saying that the process required to alter or end TPS had not been properly followed.

He referred to a social media post in which Noem backed stricter immigration measures, and cited a subsequent DHS announcement in February stating that Yemen no longer met the legal criteria for TPS.

In his ruling, Ho wrote: “TPS holders from Yemen are not ‘killers, leeches, and entitlement junkies’,” rejecting language used in political discourse surrounding immigration policy.

Human impact cited in court

The court highlighted individual cases among TPS holders, including a pregnant woman in Detroit whose unborn child has a serious heart condition and a Brooklyn-based former human rights worker reportedly at risk from armed groups in Yemen.

Advocacy groups welcomed the decision. The Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund said the ruling reinforces that humanitarian protections cannot be treated as a “deportation pipeline,” arguing that conditions on the ground in Yemen still justify protection.

Some Yemeni TPS holders also described the ruling as a major relief, calling it a “lifeline” after months of uncertainty.

Government response

The Department of Homeland Security defended its decision to end TPS for Yemen, arguing that the programme was intended to be temporary and that conditions had been reassessed before termination.

A DHS statement said allowing Yemeni nationals to remain was “contrary to our national interest,” adding that the administration is working to “return TPS to its original temporary intent.”

Background on TPS for Yemen

Yemen has remained under TPS protection since 2015 due to ongoing civil war and instability. The designation has been repeatedly extended by successive US administrations as conditions in the country have remained volatile.

Friday’s ruling keeps the protections in place temporarily while the broader lawsuit proceeds in court.