Suit challenges DHS, CBP, USCIS for abruptly stripping thousands of immigrants of legal status, work authorization, and benefits without due process.

BOSTON, MA – The Massachusetts Law Reform Institute (MLRI), together with Democracy Forward, is filing a suit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts on behalf of the Venezuelan Association of Massachusetts and three individuals from Venezuela, Cuba, and Haiti, challenging a new policy implemented by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS),  that abruptly and unlawfully strips immigrants of their parole status and work authorization.

Parole status allows certain immigrants to live and work legally in the United States while pursuing asylum or other relief. Starting in 2023, DHS required many asylum seekers to use the CBP One mobile app to schedule inspection appointments at U.S. ports of entry. Hundreds of thousands—including many who settled in Massachusetts communities—were granted parole after completing the process.

In April 2025, DHS sent mass emails stating, “It is time for you to leave the United States,” to hundreds of thousands of non-citizens, abruptly terminating parole status and revoking work permits and benefits eligibility. In Massachusetts alone, immigration advocates estimate that thousands of residents—many with U.S. citizen children in local schools—could lose the ability to work, maintain housing, and access health care if the policy stands.

“When the government strips away a person’s status and work permit, it pushes entire families into poverty, destabilizes communities, and forces people to choose between basic survival and compliance with an unjust policy,” said Georgia Katsoulomitis, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute. “Ending parole status in this way is both unlawful and harmful to immigrant families by making them more vulnerable to exploitation, detention, and deportation.”

“As a community-based organization, we have seen firsthand the direct harm this sudden policy inflicts on people who arrived lawfully, complied with every DHS requirement, including the CBP One process, and worked hard to build stable lives for their families. Stripping them of parole and work authorization without any individualized review is not only unlawful, it destabilizes families, weakens our communities, and undermines the trust immigrants place in the legal system. Our commitment is to stand with them and fight to ensure their rights are protected. At VAM, we believe that protecting migrants is protecting the future of our community,” said Carlina Velázquez and Carlos Martín Medina, Board of Directors, Venezuelan Association of Massachusetts.

“This sudden policy shift is the latest in the Trump-Vance administration’s assault on immigrants who have followed the rules. Let me be clear: none of this is about immigration, it’s about cruelty and the targeting of people in vulnerable circumstances,” said Skye Perryman, President and CEO of Democracy Forward. “Our clients used the CBP One app because DHS required it. To now strip them of their rights and threaten them with deportation is a gross violation of the law and public trust. We’re honored to represent these individuals and to fight for accountability and justice. We will continue to go to court and use every legal tool available to hold this administration accountable.”

The complaint argues that federal law requires case-by-case review before ending parole and that the sweeping termination disregards that requirement, trampling on legal rights and destabilizing immigrant families. MLRI emphasized that this lawsuit is not just about immigration law—it’s about protecting the stability and well-being of Massachusetts communities where immigrants are integral to the workforce, the economy, and civic life.

The plaintiffs seek to restore parole status and work authorization, as well as prevent DHS from carrying out future mass terminations.

The case is Sileiri Doe et al. v. Department of Homeland Security et al.

Read the complaint here.

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About Massachusetts Law Reform Institute

Founded in 1968, Massachusetts Law Reform Institute (MLRI) is a nonprofit poverty law and policy program that provides statewide advocacy and leadership in advancing laws, policies, and practices that secure economic, racial, and social justice for low-income people and communities. To learn more, visit MLRI.org.

Media Contact: Heather Arroyo, harroyo@mlri.org