By LUIS ANDRES HENAO

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio (AP) — Haitians living in the U.S. were given a reprieve, at least for the time being, when a federal judge blocked the Trump administration from ending temporary immigration protections that were initially put in place after the catastrophic 2010 earthquake that rocked their homeland.

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U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes in Washington granted a request on Monday to pause the termination of temporary protected status, or TPS, for Haitians while a lawsuit challenging the administration’s effort to end it proceeds. The TPS designation for people from the Caribbean island country had been scheduled to expire Tuesday.

“We can breathe for a little bit,” said Rose-Thamar Joseph, the operations director of the Haitian Support Center in Springfield, an Ohio city that is home to roughly 15,000 Haitians whom President Donald Trump denigrated in 2024 by falsely suggesting they ate their neighbors’ cats and dogs. “It is not a final victory, because a judge cannot redesign a country for TPS or extend the TPS, but it means a lot for us.”

The TPS designation allows roughly 350,000 Haitians to live and work in the U.S., though it doesn’t provide a legal pathway to citizenship. The Homeland Security secretary may grant the designation if conditions in home countries are deemed unsafe for return due to a natural disaster, political instability or other dangers.

Haiti is one of several countries that Trump has aggressively sought to strip of TPS protections as part of his administration’s wider, mass deportation effort.

In her written opinion, Reyes said the plaintiffs’ lawsuit was likely to prevail on its merits and that she found it “substantially likely” that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem preordained her termination decision because of “hostility to nonwhite immigrants.”

Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin denounced the ruling as “lawless activism.”

“Haiti’s TPS was granted following an earthquake that took place over 15 years ago,” she said in a statement. “It was never intended to be a de facto amnesty program, yet that’s how previous administrations have used it for decades. The Trump administration is restoring integrity to our immigration system to keep our homeland and its people safe.”

Many Haitians in Springfield were worried that if their TPS status were ended, the administration might surge immigration officers to the city to begin rounding them up. Hours before the stay was granted, though, McLaughlin said DHS did not “have any new operations to announce.”

Haiti’s TPS status was activated after the 2010 earthquake and was extended multiple times. The country has since been racked by gang violence that has displaced hundreds of thousands of people.

In addition to Haitians, Noem has terminated protections for about 600,000 Venezuelans, 60,000 people from Honduras, Nicaragua and Nepal, more than 160,000 Ukrainians and thousands of people from Afghanistan and Cameroon. Some have pending lawsuits in federal courts.

“If the termination stands, people will almost certainly die,” attorneys for Haitian TPS holders wrote in a court filing in December. “Some will likely be killed, others will likely die from disease, and yet others will likely starve to death.”

Faith leaders and Haitian community leaders pray at St. John Missionary Baptist Church in Springfield, Ohio, Monday, Feb. 2, 2026, during an event in support of Haitian migrants fearing the end of their Temporary Protected Status in the U.S. (AP Photo/Luis Andres Henao)

They said the decision to end Haiti’s status was motivated by racial animus, and that Noem had failed to consider whether there was an ongoing armed conflict that would pose a “serious threat” to personal safety, as required by law.

DHS, though, contends that conditions in Haiti have improved. In a November announcement about the ending of TPS for Haitians, the government said there had been some positive developments for Haiti, including authorization of a new, multinational force to combat gangs. Noem determined allowing Haitians to remain in the U.S. was against the national interest, the notice said.

In a December court filing, administration attorneys said the plaintiffs’ claims of racial animus were based on statements “taken out of context, often from other speakers and from years ago, and without direct links to the Secretary’s determinations.”

“Rather, Secretary Noem provided reasoned, facially sufficient explanations for her determinations.” they argued.

But many Haitians, including Jerome Bazard, a member of the First Haitian Evangelical Church of Springfield, say it’s still not safe enough to return to Haiti.

“They can’t go to Haiti because it’s not safe. Without the TPS, they can’t work. And if they can’t work, they can eat, they can’t pay bills,” he said. “You’re killing the people.”

Associated Press reporters Hannah Schoenbaum in Salt Lake City and Julie Carr Smyth in Columbus contributed to this report.

By KAMILA HRABCHUK

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia carried out a major overnight attack on Ukraine in what President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday was a broken commitment to halt striking energy infrastructure as the countries prepared for more talks on ending Moscow’s 4-year-old full-scale invasion.

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The bombardment included hundreds of drones and a record 32 ballistic missiles, wounding at least 10 people. It specifically took aim at the power grid, Zelenskyy said, as part of what Ukraine says is Moscow’s ongoing campaign to deny civilians light, heating and running water during the coldest winter in years.

“Taking advantage of the coldest days of winter to terrorize people is more important to Russia than diplomacy,” Zelenskyy said. Temperatures in Kyiv fell to minus 20 degrees Celsius (minus 4 Fahrenheit) during the night and stood at minus 16 C (minus 3 F) on Tuesday.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte visited Kyiv in a show of support. He said that the overnight strikes raise doubts about Moscow’s intentions on the eve of talks, calling them “a really bad signal.”

He added that it was clear that the attacks only strengthen Ukrainians’ resolve.

Officials have described recent talks between Moscow and Kyiv delegations as constructive. But after a year of efforts, the Trump administration is still searching for a breakthrough on key issues such as who keeps the Ukrainian land that Russia’s army has occupied, and a comprehensive settlement appears distant. The talks in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, are scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday.

Zelenskyy said Ukraine is ready to discuss how to end the fighting. “But no one is going to surrender,” he said.

Dispute over power grid attacks

A Kremlin official said last week that Russia had agreed to halt strikes on Kyiv for a week until Feb. 1 because of the frigid temperatures, following a personal request from U.S. President Donald Trump to Russian President Vladimir Putin. However, the bitter cold is continuing and so are Russia’s aerial attacks.

Zelenskyy, however, accused Russia of breaking its commitment to hold off its attacks on Ukraine’s energy assets, claiming the weeklong pause was due to come into force last Friday.

“We believe this Russian strike clearly violates what the American side discussed, and there must be consequences,” he said.

The bombardment of at least five regions of Ukraine comprised 450 long-range drones and 70 missiles, Ukrainian officials said.

Russian officials provided no immediate response to Zelenskyy’s comments.

Ukraine says Russia has tried to wear down Ukrainians’ appetite for the fight by creating hardship for the civilian population living in dark, freezing homes.

It has tried to wreck Ukraine’s electricity network, targeting substations, transformers, turbines and generators at power plants. Ukraine’s largest private power company, DTEK, said that the overnight attack hit its thermal power plants in the ninth major assault since October.

NATO show of support

Rutte addressed the Ukrainian parliament during his visit and said that countries in the military alliance “are ready to provide support quickly and consistently” as peace efforts drag on.

Since last summer, NATO members have provided 75% of all missiles, and 90% of those used for Ukraine’s air defense, under a financial arrangement whereby alliance countries buy American weapons to give to Ukraine, he said.

European countries, fearing Moscow’s ambitions, see their own future security as being on the line in Ukraine.

“Be assured that NATO stands with Ukraine and is ready to do so for years to come,” Rutte said. “Your security is our security. Your peace is our peace. And it must be lasting.”

Kyiv apartment blocks left without power

In Kyiv, officials said that five people were wounded in the strikes that damaged and set fire to residential buildings, a kindergarten and a gas station in various parts of the capital, according to the State Emergency Service.

By early morning, 1,170 apartment buildings in the capital were without heating, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said. That set back desperate repair operations that had restored heat to all but 80 apartment buildings before the attack, he said.

Russia also struck Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region, where injuries were reported, and the southern Odesa region.

The attack also damaged the Hall of Fame at the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War, in Kyiv, Ukrainian Culture Minister Tetiana Berezhna said.

“It is symbolic and cynical at the same time: The aggressor state strikes a place of memory about the fight against aggression in the 20th century, repeating crimes in the 21st,” Berezhna said.

Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine 

By MARCIA DUNN

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA’s long-awaited moonshot with astronauts is off until at least March because of hydrogen fuel leaks that marred the dress rehearsal of its giant new rocket.

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It’s the same problem that delayed the Space Launch System rocket’s debut three years ago. That first test flight was grounded for months because of leaking hydrogen.

NASA announced the news Tuesday, shortly after the critical fueling test ended at Kennedy Space Center. Until the exasperating hydrogen leaks, the space agency had been targeting as soon as this weekend for humanity’s first trip to the moon in more than half a century.

“As always, safety remains our top priority,” NASA’s new administrator Jared Isaacman said via X. “We will only launch when we believe we are as ready to undertake this historic mission.”

Officials said the monthlong delay will allow the launch team to conduct another fueling test before committing the four astronauts — three U.S. and one Canadian — to a lunar fly-around.

The leaks cropped up early in Monday’s loading operation and again hours later, ultimately halting the countdown clocks at the five-minute mark. Launch controllers had wanted to get all the way down to a half-minute in the countdown.

NASA interrupted the flow of hydrogen several times in an attempt to warm up the area between the rocket and fuel lines and, hopefully, reseat any loose seals. But that didn’t work and neither did altering the flow of the hydrogen — adjustments that allowed the first SLS rocket to finally soar without a crew in 2022.

With their launch now off until at least March 6, commander Reid Wiseman and his crew were given the all-clear to emerge from quarantine in Houston. They will reenter it two weeks before the next launch attempt.

NASA has only a handful of days any given month to send them around the moon — the first time astronauts will have flown there since 1972. They won’t land on the moon or even go into lunar orbit during the nearly 10-day mission, but rather check out life support and other vital capsule systems ahead of a moon landing by other astronauts in a few years.

NASA sent 24 astronauts to the moon during the 1960s and 1970s Apollo. The new Artemis program is aiming for new territory — the moon’s south polar region — and looking to keep crews on the lunar surface for much longer periods.

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy — Lindsey Vonn is “confident” she can compete at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics beginning this week with a torn ACL from a crash four days ago.

Vonn said on Tuesday the damage to her left knee was a “completed ruptured” ACL, plus bone bruising and “meniscal damage.”

United States’ Lindsey Vonn ahead of an alpine ski, women’s World Cup downhill, in Crans Montana , Switzerland, Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Pier Marco Tacca)

After three days of physical therapy and doctors’ advice, Vonn skied on Tuesday. She did not appear to be limping as she entered and exited a news conference.

“My knee is not swollen, and with the help of a knee brace, I am confident that I can compete on Sunday,” Vonn said.

“So, this is not obviously what I had hoped for. I know what my chances were before the crash and I know my chances aren’t the same as it stands today. But I know there’s still a chance, and as long as there’s a chance, I will try.

“I will do everything in my power to be in the starting gate.”

Vonn, 41, crashed in a World Cup downhill in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, on Friday and ended up in the safety nets. After skiing to the bottom of the course she was taken to a hospital.

Vonn, whose skiing career started at Buck Hill in Burnsville, was expected to be one of the biggest stars of the Winter Games, which start Friday with the opening ceremony. Her first race comes two days later in the women’s downhill on Sunday. Then Vonn was also planning on competing in super-G and the new team combined event.

The opening women’s downhill training session is scheduled for Thursday.

Teammate Bella Wright said Vonn has what it takes — a strong mental state — to ski through her injuries.

“If anyone can do it, it’s Lindsey,” Wright said.

Vonn has had numerous other crashes and injuries in her career.

“This would be the best comeback I’ve done so far,” she said. “Definitely the most dramatic.”

Vonn made a stunning comeback last season at age 40 after nearly six years away from ski racing. Skiing with a partial titanium implant in her right knee, she has been the circuit’s leading downhiller this season with two victories and three other podium finishes in five races.

Including super-G, Vonn completed eight World Cup races and finished on the podium in seven of them. Her worst finish was fourth.

Women’s skiing during the Games will be in Cortina, where Vonn holds the World Cup record with 12 wins.

Vonn has won three Olympic medals: Gold in downhill and bronze in super-G in 2010 and bronze in downhill in 2018.

Associated Press writer Jennifer McDermott contributed.

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