Which allowed over 532,000 immigrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela to enter and remain legally in the United States for up to two years, with the right to work.
Background and procedure
Program origin: This program was instituted under the Biden administration in early 2023, with the aim of offering a legal and organized alternative to irregular immigration for nationals of these four countries, provided they have a financial sponsor and pass security checks.
End decision: As soon as he returned to power, Donald Trump expressed his intention to end the program, considering that it overstepped the powers of the executive branch and ran counter to his immigration priorities.
Judicial blockage: In April 2025, federal judge Indira Talwani (appointed by Barack Obama) ordered the suspension of the program’s termination, ruling that the administration could not withdraw the legal status of these immigrants en masse without examining each case individually. She ruled that the government’s explanation for ending the program was based on a misinterpretation of the law.
The Trump administration’s case
Appeal to the Supreme Court: Attorney General John Sauer has filed an emergency appeal to the Supreme Court to overturn Judge Talwani’s decision, arguing that the court ruling encroaches on the authority of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the executive branch’s prerogatives over migration policy.
Desired consequences: If the Supreme Court rules in favor of the Trump administration, this would enable the rapid revocation of the legal status of over half a million people, who would then either have to leave the country or face deportation proceedings and detention.
Consequences for beneficiaries
Current status: Thanks to Judge Talwani’s order, beneficiaries of the program retain their legal status and right to work in the United States for the time being.
Risk in the event of annulment: If the Supreme Court authorizes the termination of the program, beneficiaries will lose their legal status and be exposed to deportation, with no possibility of individual review of their situation.
Summary
The Trump administration is seeking to re-establish its control over migration policy by ending a major Biden-era humanitarian program, but is up against a court ruling that temporarily protects beneficiaries. The Supreme Court must now decide between executive prerogative and judicial protection of the rights of the immigrants concerned.
