Federal Courts and Immigration Policy

On March 13, 2026, U.S. District Judge Allison D. Burroughs in Massachusetts issued a four-page order staying the Trump administration’s planned March 17 termination of Somalia’s Temporary Protected Status, noting the government had not appeared in the case—no brief filed, no lawyer assigned, and no certified administrative record—and giving the government time to compile and file the record and briefs. Burroughs said allowing the designation to expire would have "weighty" consequences and ordered that, while the stay is in effect, the termination is "null, void, and of no legal effect," preserving work authorization and deportation protections for roughly 1,000 Somali TPS holders as litigation proceeds. Plaintiffs’ lawyers said they were heartened, DHS criticized the ruling as blocking efforts to restore integrity to the immigration system, and Fox News reported the administration has framed the planned termination in part by pointing to alleged $9 billion fraud schemes.