Federal judge prevents the Trump administration from deporting Haitian immigrants again
The federal government is appealing a federal judge’s decision to deny the Trump Administration’s request to pause a recent ruling that blocks Haitian immigrants’ Temporary Protected Status from ending.
Haitian immigrants will be allowed to stay in the country until the final decision is made. A decision could come as soon as this week, the Dayton Daily News reported.
Although U.S. District Court Judge Ana Reyes did not issue a written opinion on Thursday, leaving no official explanation for her decision, she said during questioning that she does not think the Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem consulted with any federal agencies before deciding to end TPS for Haitians, which is something that Noem is legally required to do, according to Cleveland.com.
Reyes also suggested that the decision to end TPS for Haitians was not her own, citing President Donald Trump’s January 2025 executive order, “Protecting the American People Against Invasion,” which calls for limiting immigration programs, including TPS.
“You want to have your cake and eat it too,” she said. “She’s acting totally independently while also following the president’s order.”
Reyes also asked government attorneys if they would be able to provide a clear path to Haitian immigrants to go back to the United States in case they are deported back to Haiti, and then the U.S. Supreme Court rules that ending their TPS was unlawful.
Reyes also mentioned that she received multiple threatening messages against her and her family after her Feb. 2 decision that prevented the federal government from deporting Haitian immigrants from the country.
“For those who threaten judges, I say this: my colleagues and I will continue to uphold our oaths,” she said. “We will continue to our jobs as best we know how. We will not be intimidated.”
Vilès Dorsainvil, Haitian Community Help and Support Center president, celebrated the recent ruling because it reflects a “balance of power” in the country, adding that he thinks that the case will still go up to the Supreme Court, the Springfield News-Sun reported.
“At the end of the day, terminating the TPS for Haitians is a decision that would put millions of lives at risk; there is no doubt about that,” he said. “As long as the judges can use the legal route and common sense to take decisions that reflect justice, dignity of human beings, and all respect for human rights, I think that will continue to show that America can continue to be the country that it used to be.”
Geoffrey Pipoly of Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP, a firm representing TPS clients, also celebrated the decision, telling the Columbus newspaper that the firm is “pleased with the judge’s ruling.”
“It confirms the analysis she performed in ruling in favor of us in the first place was correct,” he told The Columbus Dispatch.
Meanwhile, allegations have surfaced that Springfield Assistant Mayor Tracey Tackett used her work email address to locate and stalk Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents via the StopICE app. A Springfield city representative and Tackett did not respond to requests for comment from Ohio.News to confirm or deny the allegation.
🚨BREAKING: Springfield OH Asst Mayor Tracey Tackett allegedly using her .gov email on StopIce app to track ICE agents—amid fed probes in MN for similar interference. Serious ethics & legal flags in city w/ large Haitian pop. Full report coming. #Ohio #Immigration #BreakingNews…
— jackwindsor (@jackwindsor) February 12, 2026
