In a sharp rebuke to the Trump administration, U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs ruled late Monday that the Department of Homeland Security acted unlawfully when it mass-cancelled the parole status of nearly one million migrants who had entered through the CBP One smartphone appointment system between May 2023 and January 2025. The 56-page opinion vacates DHS termination notices issued in April 2025 and orders the government to restore parole and the associated “C-11” work eligibility instantly. The decision affects citizens of Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Haiti and a smattering of other nationalities who were granted two-year humanitarian parole to relieve border backlogs. Without notice or individual review, DHS later nullified that status—leaving employers scrambling as E-Verify flagged thousands of valid workers. Judge Burroughs found the blanket cancellations violated the Administrative Procedure Act and the parole statute’s requirement for case-by-case determinations. For U.S. businesses—particularly agriculture, construction, and hospitality—the ruling averts what one HR executive called a “compliance nightmare.” Companies may now treat affected hires as continuously work-authorized, though I-9 reverification will be needed once DHS updates databases.
![Federal Judge Reinstates Work Authorization for 900,000 CBP One Parolees]()
Amid these shifting regulations, VisaHQ can help employers and parolees stay ahead of evolving travel and work‐authorization requirements. Its platform (https://www.visahq.com/united-states/) delivers real-time updates, personalized document checklists, and concierge filing services, making it easier to secure U.S. visas, advance parole, or outbound permits without missing critical deadlines.
Attorneys caution that DHS will likely appeal, so mobility teams should track further guidance and document any reverifications carefully. Politically, the decision lands as Congress wrangles over DHS funding and detention capacity. Restored parolees may again apply for advance parole to travel abroad, opening the possibility of international assignments that had been frozen since last spring. Employers should confirm that international travel is essential, given the possibility of renewed policy shifts on appeal. Advocacy groups hailed the outcome as a rare check on executive overreach. “The court reminded DHS that humanitarian parole is not a switch the government can flip off for political optics,” said Refugees International’s Jeremy Konyndyk.
Amid these shifting regulations, VisaHQ can help employers and parolees stay ahead of evolving travel and work‐authorization requirements. Its platform (https://www.visahq.com/united-states/) delivers real-time updates, personalized document checklists, and concierge filing services, making it easier to secure U.S. visas, advance parole, or outbound permits without missing critical deadlines.
Attorneys caution that DHS will likely appeal, so mobility teams should track further guidance and document any reverifications carefully. Politically, the decision lands as Congress wrangles over DHS funding and detention capacity. Restored parolees may again apply for advance parole to travel abroad, opening the possibility of international assignments that had been frozen since last spring. Employers should confirm that international travel is essential, given the possibility of renewed policy shifts on appeal. Advocacy groups hailed the outcome as a rare check on executive overreach. “The court reminded DHS that humanitarian parole is not a switch the government can flip off for political optics,” said Refugees International’s Jeremy Konyndyk.
