US Judge Temporarily Blocks Plan To End Legal Protections For Somali Immigrants

GOOBJOOG NEWS|BOSTON, US: A federal court in Boston on Friday issued a temporary ruling preventing the administration of President Donald Trump from ending legal protections that allow nearly 1,100 Somali nationals to remain and work in the United States.

The order was delivered by U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs, who halted the government’s plan to terminate the protections on March 17. The measure had been scheduled by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to end the temporary program covering Somali immigrants.

In her ruling, Burroughs — an appointee of former President Barack Obama — said the court must first consider the potential consequences before allowing the termination of the program to proceed. She warned that allowing the protections to lapse while legal challenges are still pending could lead to serious harm.

According to the court filing, the plaintiffs argued that ending the protection status could expose more than a thousand Somalis to significant danger if they are forced to return to Somalia. They said those affected could face detention, deportation, physical harm, or separation from family members living in the United States.

The judge’s order temporarily suspends the government’s move while the court reviews a request from the Somali beneficiaries seeking a longer-term injunction against the Department of Homeland Security.

The ruling also set an expedited schedule for the court to determine whether a more permanent restraining order should be issued.

Responding to the decision, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security criticized the ruling, saying it reflected a broader trend of judges intervening in immigration policy and attempting to block the administration’s efforts to overhaul the U.S. immigration system.