Svitlana Doe v. Noem

Public Rights Project joined the city of Boston to file an amicus brief in a case about the abrupt termination of several humanitarian parole programs. The brief was filed on behalf of 14 local governments and 18 local government leaders.

In March 2025, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security ended several programs that allowed certain individuals to enter the U.S. for humanitarian reasons or because they served a significant public benefit. One program — known as the CHNV humanitarian parole program — allowed individuals from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela to live in the U.S. for two years and apply to work during that time.

Our brief details how ending this and other humanitarian parole programs will directly harm local governments and their communities. Deporting hundreds of thousands of community members tears social networks, leads to negative economic consequences, and strains public services. The economic losses will be felt across health care, manufacturing, hospitality, and construction sectors. And eliminating legal protections for immigrants will erode trust among community members.

In April, a district court temporarily blocked the federal government from fully terminating the program. A month later, the U.S. Supreme Court paused the lower court’s ruling, allowing the programs to end while the case is appealed. The First Circuit court will now decide if the district court exceeded its authority when it allowed the programs to continue. Our brief urges the First Circuit to affirm the district court’s decision to keep the program in place until the case is decided.