On Friday, a federal judge halted the Trump administration’s efforts to revoke Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for approximately 5,000 Venezuelans living in the United States, despite a February decision by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to end a Biden-era extension of the program.

U.S. District Judge Edward E. Chen, based in San Francisco, ruled that Venezuelans who received documents earlier this year confirming their TPS through October 2026 must be allowed to retain that status. This includes individuals who obtained their extension during a brief window between the January announcement by then-DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and the program’s reversal by Noem the following month.

Judge Chen emphasized in his ruling that Venezuelans with TPS paperwork listing October 2026 as the expiration date cannot be deported while the lawsuit remains unresolved.

Neither the Department of Homeland Security nor the National TPS Alliance immediately responded to NBC News’ request for comment on the decision.

The ruling is the latest development in an ongoing legal battle that could impact as many as 350,000 Venezuelans who were granted temporary permission to live and work in the U.S. during the Biden administration in 2023.

The National TPS Alliance, along with seven Venezuelan TPS recipients, filed a lawsuit against DHS following the Trump administration’s rapid move to terminate their protections after President Trump took office in January.

In their complaint, the plaintiffs accused Noem of acting with racial bias and claimed her decision violated administrative procedures. They also pointed to Mayorkas’ late-term extension of TPS through October 2026 as evidence of lawful protections being abruptly and unfairly revoked.

Though Judge Chen blocked the termination of TPS while the lawsuit proceeds, the Trump administration appealed to the Supreme Court. Earlier this month, in a brief two-paragraph ruling, the high court permitted the administration to move forward with revoking TPS for Venezuelans despite the pending litigation.

This legal conflict unfolds as part of a broader push by the Trump administration to expand deportations. Since January, tens of thousands of undocumented immigrants have been detained and removed from the U.S.

Other controversial deportations have also faced legal scrutiny. One notable case involves Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland resident who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador—an error the administration has acknowledged.