Another United States of America federal judge has ended President Donald Trump administration’s plan to end former president Joe Biden’s pro-migrant programme that allowed hundreds of migrants from four countries into the US and to work legally.

This is the case as Judge Indira Talwani, of the Federal District Court in Boston, temporarily prevented the Trump administration from ending the programme.

Trump’s administration had announced a plan to stop the programme on April 24, 2025.

However, in a judgement, Talwani noted that the programme’s termination put thousands of immigrants from Cuba, Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Haiti at imminent risk of deportation hearings once their legal status expires in less than two weeks.

Judge Talwani blocked the wholesale shutdown of the programme. In her ruling she said the affected migrants would “be forced to choose between two injurious options: continue following the law and leave the country on their own, or await removal proceedings.”

The judge’s decision came as the Trump administration moved to end legal protections for migrants from many countries, including by shutting down a programme, as well as granting legal status to Afghan and Cameroonian migrants.

Meanwhile, a separate effort to revoke Temporary Protected Status for Venezuelans in the United States was also blocked by a federal judge.

More than 500,000 migrants entered the country under the programme during Biden’s government.

Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar has reacted to the escalating wave of terrorist attacks in Borno State, condemning the Nigerian Government for their alleged incompetence.

In a statement posted on his official X account on Tuesday, Atiku expressed deep concern over the insecurity situation in Borno State, recalling recent comments by Governor Babagana Zulum and the Shehu of Borno, Abubakar Ibn Umar Garbai El-Kanemi.

Atiku in the statement said, “I am deeply saddened and alarmed by the resurgence of violent attacks in Plateau State, particularly the recent killings in Zike community in the Kimakpa area of Kwali district, Bassa Local Government Area, where at least 47 innocent lives were lost on Sunday,
“This tragedy, coming just days after a similar attack in Bokkos LGA, is a grim reminder of the worsening state of security in our country.”

Atiku also condemned the Nigerian government saying the situation was unacceptable.

“It is regrettable and entirely unacceptable that these Nigerians had to lose their lives as a result of the incompetence of the Tinubu-led administration.”
“The protection of lives and property is the primary responsibility of any government. Unfortunately, President Tinubu has failed these citizens and continues to fail them”.

“I also condemn the escalating wave of terrorist attacks in Borno State, which, according to Governor Babagana Zulum and the Shehu of Borno, Abubakar Ibn Umar Garbai El-Kanemi, has resulted in the loss of lives and territory to insurgents. These disturbing developments underscore the total collapse of the current administration’s security policy and architecture.

“Every sincere Nigerian should be disturbed by how terrorists and bandits operate with impunity, especially in Northern Nigeria, which has become the epicentre of this violence. The continued delay in prosecuting terrorists and bandits, some of whom have been in custody since 2016, has only emboldened these mass murderers.”

The Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has adjourned to May 22, 2025, the hearing of a suit seeking to bar Rivers State Sole Administrator, Ibok-Ete Ibas, from appointing local government administrators across the 23 Local Government Areas of the state.

The claimant, Oyingi Imiete, at the resumed hearing, told the court that the matter was scheduled for hearing of a motion for interlocutory injunction.

Imiete, however, revealed that the respondent had already appointed sole administrators for all 23 LGAs on April 9, 2025, allegedly after receiving the court’s order and originating processes in the suit.

He explained that service was effected by the court bailiff on the same day as the appointments.

“The matter came up for motion. The applicant’s motion and they said the motion was withdrawn by the applicant.

“The applicants had equally put in the motion for mandatory restorative order and it equally has been fixed for hearing because the actions of the respondent have greatly affected the subject matter before the court,” the claimant said.

Responding, counsel for the defendant argued that the originating processes were not served until two days after the appointments and supported the claimant’s decision to withdraw the motion, calling the appointments a completed act.

He added that his client had not yet been served the new motion and reserved the right to respond when properly served.

Both parties agreed to proceed with a substantive hearing of the originating summons.

The court stressed that despite perceived frivolity, all applications must be heard and stated that the facts and issues remain within the purview of the parties.

The case was subsequently adjourned to May 22, 2025, for further hearing.

The suit, filed by the PILEX Centre for Civic Education Initiative and its coordinator Courage Nsirimovu, seeks to stop the administrator from making such appointments, which the plaintiffs argue are unconstitutional and violate the principles of democratic governance.

Justice Adamu Turaki Mohammed, on April 7, granted an interim injunction barring Ibas from proceeding with the appointments and summoned him to appear before the court to explain why the injunction should not be made permanent.

However, the Sole Administrator went ahead to make the appointments, which drew criticisms from civil society organizations.