LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) — Last week, a federal judge issued a ruling in a high-stakes lawsuit against Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem — a case that left hundreds of thousands of young immigrants in limbo after a sudden policy change affected special visa status, including deferred action granted due to backlogs.

The case, A.C.R. v. Noem , comes after U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services ended deferred action for Special Immigrant Juveniles in June , leaving thousands waiting to see if their work permits and special statuses would be renewed.

Deferred action allows them to work, go to school and participate in society while seeking permanent residency.

“SIJS is something that’s a visa category that eventually you can get status through,” said Mary Choate, executive director

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