A federal judge in Boston has ordered the Trump administration to restore the legal status of migrants who entered the United States through the Biden-era CBP One border appointment program. This ruling could impact more than 900,000 people admitted at southern border ports of entry.
U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs ruled on Tuesday that the Department of Homeland Security acted unlawfully when it decided in April 2025 to end the parole status of migrants processed through the program. Burroughs found the administration did not follow the required procedures under federal law before terminating that status.
The decision is a setback for President Donald Trump’s immigration agenda, which aims to dismantle several Biden-era border programs and expand deportation efforts since he returned to office in January 2025.
The CBP One system allowed migrants to schedule appointments with U.S. Customs and Border Protection and enter the country legally at official crossings while pursuing immigration cases. Biden officials stated the program helped reduce unlawful border crossings and ease congestion at the southern border.
“We’re just waiting for that president to go.”
In southern Mexico, I met a woman who initially tried to get to the United States but had her CBP One appointment cancelled when President Trump took office. Now she’s waiting. “After that, we’ll try again.” pic.twitter.com/H8Q36HZtDX
— Omar Jimenez (@OmarJimenez) March 30, 2026
In April 2025, DHS announced it would end parole for migrants admitted under the CBP One system and sent notices instructing recipients to leave the country. Many received emails telling them it was “time for you to leave the United States” and directing them to depart immediately.
Burroughs said DHS failed to create a record showing that an official had determined the purpose of parole had been fulfilled before ending it. Reuters reported that Burroughs wrote the “parole terminations exceeded the agency’s statutory authority and contradicted the procedures set forth in its own regulations.”
CBS News reported that over 900,000 migrants from various countries were allowed into the United States under the CBP One system. However, it remains unclear how many will directly benefit from the order since some may have already been deported or obtained another legal status. The Justice Department is expected to appeal.
A Colombian migrant waiting to enter the U.S. using former President Joe Biden’s CBP One app broke down in tears after her appointments were canceled the moment President Trump took office Monday – just the first of the sweeping border actions the new administration prepared for… pic.twitter.com/47h78q8lac
— CBS News (@CBSNews) January 21, 2025
The case was brought by migrants from Venezuela, Cuba, and Haiti, along with the Venezuelan Association of Massachusetts, with legal support from Democracy Forward. The plaintiffs argued the administration acted abruptly and unlawfully to strip people of parole and work authorization after they entered the country through a government-run process.
DHS stated it disagreed with what it called “blatant judicial activism” and claimed the President has the authority to decide who may stay in the country. The department also accused the Biden administration of misusing parole authority through the CBP One program.
Democracy Forward praised the ruling. Skye Perryman, the group’s President and CEO, said the court rejected an attempt to “erase lawful status for hundreds of thousands of people with the click of a button.” She added that the group’s clients “followed the law: they waited, registered, were inspected, and were granted parole under the law.”
The ruling does not conclude the legal fight, but it temporarily restores protections for migrants whose status had been revoked under one of the administration’s most sweeping immigration rollbacks.
