A court ruling handed down on Thursday (10) temporarily prevented Donald Trump's administration from revoking the temporary residence permits of more than half a million immigrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. The measure represents a significant — albeit provisional — setback for the current administration's attempts to toughen its immigration policy, according to a report by the Associated Press.

Federal Judge Indira Talwani, of the United States District Court, considered that the plan to cancel humanitarian visas granted during the Biden administration lacked adequate legal justification. In criticizing the Department of Homeland Security's action, Talwani argued that recipients of the program would face a dramatic choice: leave the country in a hurry or remain undocumented and risk deportation.

Also according to the Associated Press, the court decision interrupts the countdown to the cancellation of the authorizations, scheduled for April 24, and allows those affected to remain legally in the US while the judicial process is ongoing.

Launched as part of a Biden administration strategy to order and humanize immigration, the program granted temporary two-year parole to citizens of countries marked by political instability and humanitarian crises. Participants arrived with financial support from sponsors and were allowed to work legally. However, the Trump administration abruptly revoked those protections last month, claiming that the program could be terminated at any time.

During the hearing, Talwani harshly questioned the arguments put forward by the government, calling the justification for the end of the policy based on a "misinterpretation of the law." She also expressed concern that canceling a previously established agreement would create legal uncertainty for people who have followed all legal procedures to enter and live in the United States.

The decision had repercussions outside the courts. Immigrant rights groups have denounced the government's action as an attempt to criminalize even those who live in the country legally.

Meanwhile, the future of these immigrants remains undefined. Judge Talwani's decision temporarily halts the deportation, but the fate of these hundreds of thousands of people is still to be decided in the courts.