Boston, Mass. — A federal court blocked the Trump-Vance administration’s mass termination of noncitizens’ parole status, which serves as temporary permission to live legally in the United States, for hundreds of thousands of people who entered the country lawfully. Parole is a longstanding authority under federal law. The decision grants critical relief in Sileiri Doe et al. v. Department of Homeland Security et al., a nationwide class action brought by immigration advocates and affected individuals.
Starting in 2023, the CBP One mobile application was required for non-citizens seeking asylum or other immigration relief to schedule appointments at ports of entry and obtain parole status. In April 2025, the Trump-Vance administration abruptly terminated their parole en masse, revoking work authorization and threatening detention and deportation without individualized review or explanation.
Plaintiffs in the case include the Venezuelan Association of Massachusetts and individuals from Venezuela, Cuba, and Haiti who entered the United States lawfully after they secured an appointment at the border using the government’s CBP One mobile application and were granted parole after inspection by immigration officials. Democracy Forward and the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute represent plaintiffs in this case.
The U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts ruled that the administration’s blanket revocation of parole—carried out through a mass email instructing recipients to leave the country within days—was unlawful. The court vacated the terminations and ordered the government to restore parole status to all class members.
The ruling rejects the administration’s attempt to strip lawful status through an unexplained en masse decision. The court’s decision restores stability for families who relied on their lawful parole to work, secure housing, access health care, and pursue asylum or other legal relief.
“For many Venezuelan families, this decision brings long-awaited relief after months of fear and uncertainty,” said Carlina Velásquez, President of the Venezuelan Association of Massachusetts (VAM). “These are individuals who followed every step required of them, trusted the system, and built their lives here only to be told they had to leave everything behind. Today’s ruling restores not only their stability, but also their dignity and hope. It is a powerful reminder that behind every policy are real families who deserve fairness, humanity, and respect.”
“Today’s ruling is a clear rejection of an administration that has tried to erase lawful status for hundreds of thousands of people with the click of a button,” said Skye Perryman, President and CEO of Democracy Forward. “Our clients followed the law: they waited, registered, were inspected, and were granted parole under the law. The Trump-Vance administration’s effort to tear that status away overnight was unlawful and cruel — and today, the court rejected that harmful and destabilizing policy. Democracy Forward will continue to be alongside communities targeted by abuse of power and fight to ensure the rule of law protects everyone in America.”
“We applaud the Court’s decision today,” said Georgia Katsoulomitis, Executive Director of Massachusetts Law Reform Institute. “With just an email, the Department of Homeland Security stripped our immigrant families, neighbors, and workers of their parole status, causing immense fear, instability, and disruption to our society. Their parole status and their ability to live in the United States has finally been restored. Our daily work is dedicated to protecting due process and fighting for the ability of every member of our community to thrive, and this decision is a significant victory for our immigrant neighbors and for the values that we must protect in our society.”
The legal team at Democracy Forward in this case includes Ally Scher, Brian Netter, Catherine Carroll, and Cortney Robinson Henderson.
Read the court’s decision here and read the original complaint here.
