DELMARVA - A U.S. District Court Judge in Washington has temporarily blocked the Trump Administration's efforts to end a temporary protected status for Haitians in the United States, the Associated Press reports.
Judge Anna Reyes granted a request to halt the federal termination on Monday, Feb. 2, a day before the protected status was set to expire.
The federal Department of Homeland Security first issued a Temporary Protected Status for Haitian immigrants in 2010, following a major earthquake. That status has since been extended numerous times.
In November of 2025, DHS, under the leadership of Kristi Noem, announced the protected status would end at 11:59 p.m. on Feb. 3.
Just over 24 hours before the termination took effect, Judge Reyes ordered a stay, saying "the Termination shall be null, void, and of no legal effect."
The order will reportedly block the termination while a lawsuit challenging it proceeds in court.
As WBOC has previously reported, Delmarva, especially in communities like Salisbury, has seen a rapidly growing Haitian population amid turmoil in the Caribbean country.
In January, the Laurel Police Department drew criticism from the ACLU for allegedly sharing information on local Haitian immigrants with the FBI.
According to the AP, DHS has sharply denounced the federal judge's decision, calling it "lawless activism."
"Haiti's TPS was granted following an earthquake that took place over 15 years ago," DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said following Monday's ruling. "It was never intended to be a de facto amnesty program, yet that's how previous administrations have used it for decades."
This is a developing story and will be updated.