US judge blocks Trump administration from terminating temporary protected status for Yemenis

A US federal judge on Friday blocked the Trump administration from ending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Yemeni nationals scheduled to take effect next week.

In an order, District Judge Dale E. Ho said TPS holders from Yemen are “ordinary, law-abiding people” who were granted protection due to the ongoing armed conflict in their home country.

“Plaintiff’s motions to postpone the effective date of the termination of Yemen’s TPS designation are granted,” Ho wrote.

In February, then-Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem announced the decision to end temporary deportation protections for Yemenis living in the country.

Yemen was first granted Temporary Protected Status on Sept. 3, 2015, due to the ongoing armed conflict threatening the safety of returning nationals.

The designation was subsequently extended or redesignated multiple times through 2024.