U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani is facing renewed scrutiny after halting a Trump administration attempt to end the CHNV immigration parole program. This initiative, launched under President Biden, allows temporary legal entry for migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. Talwani’s decision paused the program’s rollback, though the U.S. Supreme Court later sided with Trump, permitting the revocation of temporary legal status for approximately 500,000 individuals.
Judge Talwani, appointed by President Obama in 2013, has come under criticism not only for her ruling but also due to her political affiliations and past involvement with progressive causes. Public records reveal she was an active campaign volunteer for several prominent Democrats, including Deval Patrick, Barack Obama, Martha Coakley, and Elizabeth Warren.
Her connection to the Chinese Progressive Association (CPA), a group accused of links to the Chinese Communist Party, has also drawn attention. Critics like Natalie Winters and Steve Bannon cite the organization’s Maoist roots and praise for the Chinese revolution as grounds for concern. Talwani accepted the CPA’s “Workers Justice Award” in 2012, a year before her judicial nomination, which remains listed in her official credentials.
In her 41-page opinion, Talwani defended the Biden-era parole program, stating that revoking it would force law-abiding migrants to either leave voluntarily or face deportation proceedings. She warned of potential family separations and human consequences if the program were rescinded too abruptly.
Talwani’s record on immigration and labor rulings reflects progressive leanings, which has fueled Republican allegations of judicial activism. Her history of Democratic campaigning has further amplified claims that the judiciary is being used to obstruct Trump-era policies.
Meanwhile, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem has begun reversing other Biden-era protections, including the removal of Temporary Protected Status for migrants from Afghanistan and Cameroon, aligning with Trump’s stricter immigration approach.
In a separate development, former President Trump praised El Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele for his crackdown on violent crime through high-security prisons like CECOT. In a Fox News interview, Trump hinted at the possibility of using such facilities to detain U.S.-based violent offenders, whom he referred to as “homegrown criminals.”
