WASHINGTON — A federal district court ruled this week that the Trump administration’s use of expedited removal against immigrants who entered the United States with parole was unlawful and violated statutory protections, according to a press release from the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights.
The case, CHIRLA v. Noem, was brought by immigrant advocacy groups CHIRLA (Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights), CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) and the UndocuBlack Network. The lawsuit challenged the administration’s decision to fast-track deportations of individuals granted entry through lawful humanitarian parole programs such as CBP One, Uniting for Ukraine and the CHNV program for nationals of Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela.
The court order sharply criticized the administration’s actions, stating, “This case presents a question of fair play. Plaintiffs’ members, and hundreds of thousands of others like them, fled oppressive regimes and perilous conditions… In a world of bad options, they played by the rules.” The court concluded that the government’s attempt to retroactively revoke parole and subject individuals to expedited deportation violated statutory safeguards and denied basic due process.
“We are extremely gratified by today’s ruling that will protect so many immigrants from being detained and disappeared by this lawless administration,” said Angelica Salas, CHIRLA’s executive director. “They came to us seeking safety—now they can sleep without a sword hanging over their heads.”
According to CHIRLA, immigrants were being arrested immediately after attending immigration hearings and transferred far from family and attorneys.
“The government cannot simply deny people with parole their statutory rights in order to fulfill their mass deportation fantasy,” said Hillary Li, counsel with the Justice Action Center.
“This is a victory for due process and for Black immigrant communities,” said Patrice Lawrence of the UndocuBlack Network. “Our members stood up to protect everyone’s rights today.”
The case resulted in an injunction protecting thousands of parolees from expedited deportation without legal recourse. It was filed in March 2025 and argued in July, according to CHIRLA’s press release.
The ruling reinforces statutory protections for individuals who followed lawful processes to enter the United States and rejected the Trump administration’s attempt to sidestep immigration law.
