Republican Senator John Kennedy from Louisiana has strongly criticized a federal judge for blocking the Trump administration’s decision to revoke a parole program that affects over 500,000 migrants.
The judge in question, Indira Talwani, was appointed by former President Obama and currently serves in the District of Massachusetts.
On Tuesday, Judge Talwani issued a nationwide injunction preventing the deportation of migrants who arrived in the U.S. during the Biden administration under what’s called the “CHNV program.”
This program had allowed migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela to enter the U.S. legally through a special parole system, especially when traditional visa options weren’t available.
Senator Kennedy responded harshly during an interview on Fox News’ “America Reports,” saying, “This judge is wrong. He or she doesn’t know the law book from a J.Crew catalog.”
He further criticized the use of nationwide injunctions, calling them illegal.
“A national injunction means a judge issues a ruling that doesn’t just apply to the people involved in the case—it applies to everyone in the country,” Kennedy explained.
“There’s no law from Congress, no Supreme Court ruling, and no English common law that allows for this. The Supreme Court should step in and fix this.”
The Trump administration had announced the end of the CHNV parole program in March, arguing that the program was being misused. Critics claim the migrants under this policy might not have been able to legally enter the U.S. under normal immigration laws. The America First Policy Center supported the decision to end the program.
Before discussing the judge’s ruling, Senator Kennedy also defended former President Trump’s broader immigration enforcement efforts. Trump recently issued several executive orders targeting illegal immigration.
These included plans to deport violent offenders to El Salvador and to label groups like Mexican drug cartels, Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua gang, and El Salvador’s MS-13 as foreign terrorist organizations.
Kennedy supported these measures, saying, “If you are in our country illegally, you are a criminal. Illegal immigration is illegal—duh.”
He accused President Biden of ignoring existing immigration laws and said that those who oppose stronger enforcement should just admit they want open borders.