What You Missed in Immigration: Processing Freeze, Enforcement Blitz, and TPS Takedowns

USCIS freezes processing for travel-ban countries, ICE deploys 2,000 agents to Minneapolis, 900,000+ TPS holders lose protections. Critical PERM strategies for employers as temporary immigration pathways collapse.

USCIS Hits the Pause Button on Travel-Ban Countries, Including Green Cards

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services formally expanded its processing freeze to cover nationals from all countries listed in President Trump's expanded travel ban proclamation. The directive pauses pending applications for green cards, citizenship, asylum, and other immigration benefits even for people already living legally in the U.S. The freeze also orders retroactive reviews of approvals granted since January 20, 2021. While no new countries were added beyond the existing travel ban list, the move dramatically escalates scrutiny of lawful immigration pathways.

The PERM Takeaway: This processing freeze doesn't just affect new applicants it's freezing cases already in the pipeline, including adjustment of status applications for PERM-sponsored employees. If you have foreign nationals from travel-ban countries with pending I-485s or awaiting green card interviews, prepare for indefinite limbo. The retroactive review component is particularly alarming, even approved cases could be reopened and scrutinized. For employers, this means diversifying your talent pipelines away from affected countries wherever possible, accelerating PERM filings for employees who aren't yet subject to these restrictions, and working closely with immigration counsel to monitor which cases might be impacted. The freeze also underscores the importance of pursuing adjustment of status rather than consular processing when eligible domestic cases may face delays, but consular processing from banned countries is essentially dead on arrival.

---

ICE Deploys 2,000 Agents to Minneapolis in "Largest Enforcement Operation Ever"

The Trump administration launched what ICE is calling the largest immigration enforcement operation in history, deploying up to 2,000 federal agents to the Minneapolis–St. Paul area. The operation combines deportation arrests with fraud investigations and has sparked alarm among local leaders and immigrant advocates. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem personally joined agents during arrests, while Minnesota Governor Tim Walz condemned the surge as politically motivated and destabilizing for communities.

The PERM Takeaway: While this enforcement blitz primarily targets undocumented individuals and those with removal orders, the scale and intensity signal that no immigration status should be considered bulletproof right now. For employers sponsoring foreign nationals through PERM, this is a critical moment to ensure all employees maintain valid status, carry documentation at all times, and understand their rights if approached by immigration enforcement. The combination of deportation arrests and fraud investigations means even lawful status holders could face heightened scrutiny, especially those with complicated immigration histories or pending cases.

---

600,000 Venezuelans Face Deportation After TPS Termination

Up to 600,000 Venezuelans in the U.S. could face deportation after the Trump administration terminated Temporary Protected Status protections granted in 2021 and 2023. The administration claims conditions in Venezuela have improved, though advocates note that Venezuela remains on the U.S. travel ban list and asylum cases from the country are paused. With TPS ending, lawmakers warn that deportation flights could ramp up soon, leaving hundreds of thousands vulnerable.

The PERM Takeaway: The TPS termination for Venezuelans is a wake-up call for employers who've relied on TPS holders as a stable workforce, temporary protections are exactly that: temporary. If you have Venezuelan employees who've been working under TPS, now is the time to explore PERM sponsorship options before their work authorization expires. Many TPS holders have been in the U.S. for years, building skills and institutional knowledge that would be costly to replace. Filing PERM cases for qualified Venezuelan employees can provide a pathway to permanent residency that doesn't depend on the political winds. However, with Venezuela on the travel ban list, adjustment of status (filing for green cards while in the U.S.) is critical consular processing abroad is not viable. Act quickly: once TPS expires and work authorization lapses, these employees fall out of status, complicating future sponsorship options. The window to preserve valuable talent is closing fast.

---

300+ Judges Push Back on Trump's Mandatory Detention Expansion

More than 300 federal judges have rejected the Trump administration's attempt to broadly expand mandatory immigration detention, ordering releases or bond hearings in over 1,600 cases. Judges across the country have ruled the policy unlawful or unconstitutional, citing due process concerns and prolonged detention of people not charged with crimes. Despite widespread judicial resistance, the policy remains in effect nationwide as cases are challenged individually rather than through a single national injunction.

The PERM Takeaway: The judicial pushback against mandatory detention policies reveals a legal system struggling to check executive overreach on immigration, but ultimately failing to provide systemic relief. For PERM employers, this judicial resistance offers a small glimmer of hope that some legal safeguards remain, but the piecemeal nature of these victories means the hostile environment persists. Employees who fall out of status, miss court dates, or have any immigration infractions face dramatically increased detention risk. The lesson for employers: stay obsessively compliant. Ensure timely PERM filings, maintain valid nonimmigrant status throughout the process, file extensions well before expiration dates, and counsel employees about the catastrophic consequences of even minor immigration violations. In a system where mandatory detention is the default and judicial relief is case-by-case, prevention is the only reliable strategy.

---

350,000 Haitians Await Court Decision on TPS Termination

A federal judge in Washington, D.C. is considering a final legal challenge to the Trump administration's plan to end Temporary Protected Status for roughly 350,000 Haitians before it expires next month. Plaintiffs argue the decision ignored worsening conditions in Haiti and was politically motivated rather than based on safety assessments. Judge Ana Reyes questioned whether Secretary Kristi Noem properly reviewed conditions on the ground. If TPS ends, hundreds of thousands could lose work authorization and face deportation, with the case likely headed to the Supreme Court regardless of the outcome.

The PERM Takeaway: The pending TPS termination for Haitians mirrors the Venezuelan situation, temporary protections are crumbling, and employers relying on TPS workers face an urgent talent retention crisis. If you employ Haitian TPS holders, evaluate PERM eligibility immediately. These workers have often been in the U.S. for over a decade, many with U.S. citizen children and deep community ties. Losing them isn't just a business disruption, it's a humanitarian and economic disaster. Filing PERM cases now, while TPS holders still have valid work authorization, preserves their legal status pathway. However, timing is critical: if TPS expires before PERM is filed or while the labor certification is pending, employees may lose work authorization and status, complicating the entire process. Additionally, with Haiti facing gang violence and political instability, adjustment of status in the U.S. is vastly preferable to consular processing abroad. Employers who act proactively can convert temporary workers into permanent assets. Those who wait risk losing their workforce entirely when TPS expires and deportation machinery revs up.

---

Bottom Line: This week's immigration news reads like a coordinated assault on every temporary immigration pathway: travel-ban processing freezes, massive enforcement operations, TPS terminations for over 900,000 people, and expanded mandatory detention. For PERM-dependent employers, the message is unmistakable, temporary immigration solutions are collapsing in real time. The only viable strategy is aggressive, proactive PERM sponsorship that converts temporary workers to permanent residents before their protections evaporate. Companies that wait for clarity or hope for policy reversals will watch their workforce disappear. Those that act now, filing PERM cases, pursuing adjustment of status, and maintaining obsessive compliance will preserve their talent and competitive advantage in an increasingly hostile immigration environment.