A US federal judge has temporarily blocked the Donald Trump administration from ending humanitarian protections that allow about 1,100 immigrants from Somalia to live and work in the United States.

Allison D. Burroughs of the US District Court in Massachusetts issued an order on Friday delaying the planned March 17 termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Somali nationals. The ruling temporarily pauses the decision by the US Department of Homeland Security while the legal challenge continues.

Burroughs said allowing the designation to expire immediately could have “weighty” consequences for Somali immigrants, many of whom face the risk of detention, deportation, and family separation.

“Over one thousand people will face ‘a myriad of grave risks,’ including detention and deportation, physical violence if removed to Somalia, and forced separation from family members,” the judge wrote in her order.

The court placed an administrative stay on the policy, meaning the termination is “null, void, and of no legal effect” while the case proceeds. Somali nationals who hold TPS or have pending applications will continue to retain work authorization and protection from deportation or detention during that period.

Temporary Protected Status is a humanitarian immigration program that shields eligible migrants from deportation and allows them to work legally in the United States when conditions in their home countries make return unsafe.

The Department of Homeland Security defended its decision to end the designation, arguing that conditions in Somalia have improved and that continuing the protections is no longer justified.

“Temporary means temporary,” the department said in a statement, adding that allowing Somali nationals to remain under TPS would be “contrary to our national interests.”

The lawsuit was filed by four Somali immigrants along with advocacy organizations, including African Communities Together and the Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans. They argue that the decision to terminate the program was procedurally flawed and influenced by discriminatory bias.

Ramla Sahid, executive director of the Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans, said the ruling provides temporary relief for the Somali community while the legal battle continues.

The case comes as the administration seeks to end Temporary Protected Status for several countries, moves that have triggered multiple legal challenges. The US Supreme Court is also considering whether to lift lower-court orders blocking the termination of TPS protections for hundreds of thousands of immigrants from Haiti and Syria.