After living and working legally in the United States for more than six years, Carline was ready to essentially go into hiding.
She is one of 350,000 people who were on the brink of losing their legal status in the U.S. last week, as the Trump administration sought to revoke temporary protected status for Haitian nationals. After months of limbo, a federal judge in Washington, D.C., blocked the administration from ending the program — for now.
The ruling was “a relief,” said Carline, who is only being identified by her first name because she’s worried about being targeted by immigration officials. It was also likely the beginning of a long legal process that will leave Haitian immigrants in the U.S. on edge.
“We can go out, we can go to work, and we can continue on,” she said. “But that doesn’t mean everything is over.”
The Trump administration officially filed an appeal of the decision on Friday with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. The administration is hoping to take the case all the way to the highest court.
