US judge blocks Trump administration from detaining thousands of refugees

Judge Richard Stearns in Boston acts at the request of six refugees and two advocacy groups

US President Donald Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi visit Graceland, the home of Elvis Presley, in Memphis, Tennessee, US, Mar 23, 2026. REUTERS

A federal judge on Monday blocked US President Donald Trump's administration from enforcing a new policy that would subject thousands of refugees to arrest and detention if after a year in the United States they had yet to obtain green cards.

US District Judge Richard Stearns in Boston acted at the request of six refugees and two advocacy groups who argued the US Department of Homeland Security's new policy was an unlawful departure from decades of practice.