Judge Defies Death Threats in Ruling on Haitian TPS

In a tense courtroom standoff on February 12, 2026, U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes confronted a wave of intimidation head-on. While presiding over a hearing regarding the Trump administration’s move to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians, the judge read aloud graphic death threats she had received—including one telling her to “eat a bullet.”

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Despite the vitriol, Reyes remained resolute: “Judges will not be intimidated.”

The Legal Standoff

Judge Reyes denied the administration’s request to pause her previous ruling, which currently prevents the deportation of roughly 350,000 Haitian nationals. Her refusal to budge rests on two primary concerns:

• Racial Animus: Reyes previously ruled that the decision to end protections was likely “motivated, at least in part, by racial animus,” citing derogatory public comments made by President Trump and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem.
• Humanitarian Crisis: The judge dismissed government claims that TPS holders weren’t in immediate danger, noting that lifting her stay would leave law-abiding families vulnerable to indefinite detention or return to a nation collapsed by gang warfare.

What’s Next?

The administration has slammed the ruling as “lawless activism” and is preparing an immediate appeal. With the Department of Justice signaling a fight, this case appears fast-tracked for the Supreme Court. For now, however, the legal shield for Haitian TPS holders stays firmly in place.