Judge protects Yemeni refugees, slams Trump administration’s push to end special status

A federal judge on Friday (May 1, 2026) blocked the Trump administration from forcing about 3,000 Yemeni refugees to leave the U.S., ruling that Temporary Protected Status repeatedly granted to them and due to expire on Monday (May 4) should be extended again.

Judge Dale E. Ho in Manhattan extended the status temporarily while a lawsuit he presides over proceeds. He said in a written decision that people granted the status are ordinary, law-abiding people who the U.S. government had determined could face threats to their safety if they were returned to a country facing an ongoing armed conflict.