A federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration from stripping work authorizations from tens of thousands of immigrants, including asylum seekers and Temporary Protected Status beneficiaries. The order by District Judge Nathaniel Gorton provides relief until at least an August 5 hearing, halting USCIS enforcement of rules stemming from the July 2025 federal tax and spending legislation.
The legal challenge centers on sweeping changes enacted under the federal tax and spending package signed by Donald Trump in July 2025. That legislation established new fees for asylum applications and placed strict limitations on employment authorizations for individuals holding Temporary Protected Status. TPS allows individuals from countries affected by armed conflict, natural disasters, or other crises to live and work lawfully in the United States when returning home remains unsafe.
Progressive legal group Democracy Forward represented the plaintiffs who argued that the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services improperly applied the statutory provisions. Without the judicial intervention, thousands of beneficiaries originating from El Salvador, Sudan, and Ukraine faced the immediate loss of their work authorization.
Federal Policy Shifts and Retroactive Restrictions
At the core of the dispute are regulatory actions that plaintiffs argue curtail the duration TPS holders may remain employed. The administration applied new eligibility restrictions retroactively to populations from specific nations, prompting the coalition of immigrant advocacy organizations and labor unions to file for emergency relief in federal court.
While the Supreme Court recently permitted the administration to strip protected status from thousands of Haitian and Syrian nationals, District Judge Nathaniel Gorton sided with the advocacy coalition on this challenge backing the lawsuit filed by immigrant advocates and unions.
Next Steps in the Federal Courtroom
The temporary restraining order issued by federal district judge Nathaniel Gorton preserves employment eligibility while the litigation proceeds. Judge Gorton scheduled proceedings to evaluate whether to issue a long-term suspension, with a definitive ruling expected on August 5.
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