• A federal appeals court has blocked the Trump administration from ending protections for 600,000 Venezuelans.
• The court ruled that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem likely acted unlawfully in trying to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS).
• The decision underscores the necessity of TPS as a predictable and stable protection system insulated from political changes.
• About 350,000 Venezuelans already lost their TPS status, while an additional 250,000 are at risk of losing theirs in September.

A federal appeals court has ruled that the Trump administration's attempts to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for nearly 600,000 Venezuelans were likely unlawful. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously upheld a lower court’s decision that had postponed the termination of these protections while legal challenges were pending, emphasizing that Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem lacked the authority to revoke extensions granted by the previous Biden administration, according to CBS News.

The TPS program is designed to provide temporary legal status to individuals from countries experiencing crises. The appellate judges noted that the original TPS statute, crafted by Congress, aims to provide a "predictable and dependable" system, insulated from political influences, and that sudden reversals of status would inflict "irreparable harm" to those affected, according to Reuters and Los Angeles Times.

Following the court’s ruling, plaintiffs represented by advocacy organizations argued that the Trump administration's actions were politically motivated and disregarded the safety and livelihoods of TPS beneficiaries. They faced fears of separation from families, job loss, and potential deportation due to this uncertainty, as stated by Emi MacLean, a senior attorney for the ACLU Foundation, according to ABC News and Anadolu Agency.

The court's decision is particularly significant for the approximately 350,000 Venezuelans who had already lost their protections in April, with another 250,000 expected to face similar fates by September 10. The appeals court’s ruling prevents any termination of TPS until all legal disputes are resolved, reflecting its commitment to safeguarding the rights of these individuals under TPS, according to ABC News and Los Angeles Times.