A federal judge has temporarily stopped the U.S. government from ending immigration protections for roughly 1,100 Somali nationals living in the country. The decision pauses a policy change that would have stripped those individuals of their legal right to remain and work in the United States.
The ruling came from U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs in Boston, who issued an emergency order just days before the protections were set to expire. Court documents show the judge concluded that removing the status immediately could cause serious harm to the people affected while the legal challenge is still being reviewed.
The protections fall under Temporary Protected Status, a program that allows people from certain countries facing armed conflict, natural disasters, or other dangerous conditions to stay in the United States legally for limited periods of time.
Lawyers representing Somali immigrants and advocacy organizations filed the lawsuit earlier this year. They argued that ending the program ignored ongoing instability and security concerns in Somalia.
The court’s order keeps the protections in place for now while the case continues to move through the legal system.