Recent Policy news

If these policy changes impact you or someone you know, consult our guide to alternative legal statuses and consider finding and consulting an immigration attorney through the American Immigration Lawyers Association search tool.

1. Some Ukrainian newcomers’ legal status, including work authorization, expires soon. President Trump has signaled he will allow Ukrainians to stay in the U.S. until the war ends.

What happened: In January, the U.S. government paused the processing of applications through the Uniting for Ukraine sponsorship program. Ukrainians who previously arrived through this program were initially granted two years of legal status and work authorization. As the war is in its third year, many are applying to renew their status until it’s safe to return home. The U.S. government has not indicated it has resumed processing renewal applications, and Ukrainians’ legal status is expiring. Newcomers whose status expires are ineligible to work, vulnerable to detention, and are forced to face impossible decisions about what’s next.

On July 29, President Trump was asked by a reporter if he will allow Ukrainians to remain in the U.S. until the war ends. He said, “I think we will… We have a lot of people that came in from Ukraine, and we’re working with them.”

What it means: President Trump’s assurances to reporters have not yet led to a formal policy change to extend existing protections to Ukrainians. We will provide updates if a new policy decision related to his comments is introduced and/or implemented. While Ukrainians have not been targeted for deportation yet, the Americans who welcomed them continue to urge elected officials to protect Ukrainian refugees from being sent back to an active war zone until it's safe to go home.

2. A federal judge temporarily blocked the use of expedited removal of newcomers who arrived through humanitarian parole sponsorship programs.

What happened: On Aug. 1, a federal judge issued a temporary injunction in CHIRLA v. Noem, preventing the government from using expedited removal to deport newcomers who had entered the U.S. through Uniting for Ukraine and the Processes for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans if their parole status ended.

What it means: The deportation process includes a removal proceeding, or the right to appear before an immigration judge to present one’s case, and an opportunity to appeal the decision. Expedited removal is a process by which the government can quickly deport someone without a court hearing, and has historically been used only under limited circumstances. The judge ruled that the U.S. government likely exceeded its authority and violated due process protections by targeting people who entered legally. This ruling is temporary and pauses the government’s use of expedited removal for these populations for now.

3. Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Afghanistan is expiring.

What happened: Afghans were first eligible for TPS in March 2022 in response to the conflict in Afghanistan. Afghans arrived in the U.S. with legal status and work authorization while their home country remained unsafe. The Trump administration decided not to renew TPS for Afghanistan and allowed it to terminate on July 21, 2025. A lawsuit was filed to contest the decision to terminate TPS for Afghanistan, but the court determined that TPS would be terminated on July 21, 2025.

The law also excludes refugees, asylees, and other newcomers from receiving food assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Only green card holders, Cubans and Haitians who entered the U.S. through humanitarian parole, and people residing under a Compact of Free Association are eligible to access SNAP.

What it means: Afghans who had TPS have lost their protected status and could be subject to deportation if they do not have an alternative legal status.

4. Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians will continue until February 2026.

What happened: TPS for Haiti was designated due to ongoing instability and natural disasters, and extended until Feb. 3, 2026. The Trump administration announced it would terminate TPS for Haitians early on June 27, 2025. The decision was challenged in court, and a federal judge ruled that the government can not terminate Haitian TPS early.

What it means: Haitians with TPS are currently protected from deportation and authorized to work in the U.S. until Feb. 3, 2026. The U.S. government has said it will appeal the court’s decision.