Federal Judge Blocks Expedited Deportations of 500,000 Paroled Migrants

A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration's efforts to rapidly deport migrants who were granted humanitarian parole upon entry into the United States, including nationals from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. Judge Jia Cobb ruled that the Department of Homeland Security's new policies, which allow expedited removal and arrest of parolees even after appearing in immigration courts, likely violate the expedited removal statute and change the terms under which these migrants were admitted. The decision halts enforcement of directives that aimed to terminate parole programs and expand fast-track deportations, affecting hundreds of thousands of migrants. Immigrant rights groups praised the ruling as protection for individuals who played by the rules, while the Trump administration criticized it as an ongoing judicial obstruction. The case highlights tensions over executive power and immigration enforcement under President Donald Trump's second term, with ongoing litigation expected to determine the final outcome. Meanwhile, some GOP lawmakers have suggested the number of affected migrants could be over one million, intensifying the political debate over immigration policies.