A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration from ending temporary legal protections that have granted more than 1 million people from Haiti and Venezuela the right to live and work in the United States. The ruling Friday by U.S. District Judge Edward Chen of San Francisco for the plaintiffs means 600,000 Venezuelans whose temporary protections expired in April or whose protections were about to expire Sept. 10 have status to stay and work in the United States. It also keeps protections for about 500,000 Haitians. Chen said Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's actions in terminating and vacating three extensions granted by the previous administration exceeded her statutory authority and were arbitrary and capricious.

A closely watched report says the number of people in the United States illegally surged to an all-time high of 14 million in 2023. That represents a major increase but still falls well short of estimates from President Donald Trump and some allies. The Pew Research Center said Thursday that the 14-million mark rose from 11.8 million a year earlier and surpassed the previous high of 12.2 million in 2007. The increase was driven by some 6 million who were in the country with some form of legal protection under President Joe Biden.

A federal judge has granted a preliminary injunction blocking the Trump administration's efforts to keep Harvard University from hosting international students. The order from U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs preserves the ability of Harvard to host foreign students while the case is decided. It marks another victory for the Ivy League school as it challenges multiple government sanctions amid a battle with the White House. Harvard sued the Department of Homeland Security in May after the agency withdrew the school's certification to host foreign students and issue paperwork for their visas.

Outgoing Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has only days left in office. Mayorkas spoke to The Associated Press about what the agency had achieved. He defended his agency's work to tamp down border-crossing numbers. He also made the case for keeping together the department that was forged in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks. Mayorkas said he has spoken repeatedly to South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, who's President-elect Donald Trump's pick to lead the agency, including about the attack in New Orleans and the California wildfires. Homeland Security is responsible for border and airport security, disaster response, protections for high-level dignitaries and more.

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