A federal court granted an emergency order that prevents, for now, the application of new policies of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) that threatened to leave thousands of asylum seekers and beneficiaries of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) without work permits.

The resolution represents a temporary setback for President Donald Trump's administration, as it suspends the entry into force of measures that, according to immigrant advocacy organizations, could lead to the cancellation of employment authorizations and the rejection of asylum applications without offering sufficient guarantees of due process.

The court decision will remain in effect while the litigation progresses in federal court.

Court order protects work permits

According to the plaintiffs, thousands of TPS beneficiaries were at risk of losing their work authorization as of July 22, as a result of policies implemented by USCIS to enforce part of the legislation known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

In addition, the changes could also affect people seeking asylum in the United States, by allowing the rejection of their applications and the immediate cancellation of their work permits.

The lawsuit was filed by the Venezuelan Association of Massachusetts, the National TPS Alliance, the Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project (ASAP), the SEIU union and 32BJ SEIU, with legal representation from Democracy Forward, the National Day Laborer Organizing Network and ASAP.