A federal judge in the United States has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from revoking work permits for tens of thousands of asylum seekers and immigrants with Temporary Protected Status (TPS), halting a policy that was set to take effect as early as Wednesday. The order, issued by US District Judge Nathaniel Gorton on Tuesday, prevents immediate disruptions for people from El Salvador, Sudan, and Ukraine who rely on work authorization to support themselves. Main Developments Judge Gorton sided with immigrant rights groups and labor unions that challenged a series of new US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) policies implementing immigration restrictions passed by Congress last year. In a five-page order, he wrote that “the consequences faced by plaintiffs are potentially severe” and kept the block in place while considering a longer-term injunction, with a decision expected by August 5. The lawsuit, filed earlier this month by a coalition represented by the legal group Democracy Forward, challenged several recent USCIS policy changes. Those include a new rule allowing the agency to reject pending asylum applications and revoke work permits if applicants fail to pay a newly created annual asylum fee, as well as its decision to scrap a decades-old requirement that initial asylum work permit applications be processed within 30 days. Read also: Toxic gases hamper rescue after India tunnel collapse kills 10 The plaintiffs argued that USCIS made these changes without public input, as required by law. They also challenged the retroactive application of the new rules to TPS holders from El Salvador, Sudan, and Ukraine—countries where ongoing crises make it unsafe for people to return home. While the judge did not block the collection of the asylum fee itself, he temporarily blocked the consequences of not paying it, including the rejection of applications or termination of work permits. Background The controversial provisions were introduced as part of President Trump’s signature tax and spending law, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, passed by the Republican-controlled Congress in July 2025. The Trump administration has made ending TPS protections a central part of its immigration agenda, moving to strip the status from people from more than a dozen countries. Last month, the US Supreme Court allowed the administration to end protections for thousands of Haitian and Syrian immigrants, signaling a broader push to limit humanitarian-based immigration programs. TPS itself is a longstanding program that allows people from countries affected by war, natural disasters, or other major crises to live and work legally in the US until it is considered safe to return home. Why It Matters The ruling means thousands of TPS holders from El Salvador, Sudan, and Ukraine can keep working while the legal challenge moves forward, avoiding what Democracy Forward president Skye Perryman called “immediate and irreparable harm.” Without this relief, families who have followed the law and relied on humanitarian protections faced the sudden loss of their employment authorization, potentially destabilizing their livelihoods and communities. The case also tests the limits of executive authority to implement immigration restrictions without public input, and its outcome could set a precedent for how future policy changes are applied retroactively. For immigrants across the US, the decision offers a temporary reprieve but underscores the fragility of protections that can shift with political winds. What's Next Judge Gorton is expected to decide by August 5 whether to issue a longer-term injunction. USCIS did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Reuters news agency. The broader legal battle over the One Big Beautiful Bill Act’s immigration provisions is likely to continue, with potential appeals that could reach higher courts, including the Supreme Court, where recent rulings have favored the administration’s approach to TPS.