WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Trump administration has officially asked the U.S. Supreme Court to decide whether or not it has the authority to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for more than 500,000 people from Haiti, Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela.
What is Temporary Protected Status (TPS)?
Under TPS, citizens from countries facing difficult conditions—such as natural disasters or armed conflict—can temporarily live and work in the United States. The Biden administration extended TPS to 532,000 individuals from the above-mentioned nations, allowing them to stay in the U.S. legally with work permits.
Trump Administration’s Effort to End TPS
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has made efforts to end TPS for these groups, but a recent lower court ruling blocked those efforts. Judge Indira Talwani, from the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts, ruled that the Trump administration cannot arbitrarily remove TPS. Instead, she stated that each individual’s case must be reviewed before any decision is made to terminate their status or begin deportation.
The Trump Administration’s Appeal
Solicitor General John Sauer criticized the ruling, stating that Judge Talwani’s decision nullified one of the administration’s key immigration policies. He is now asking the Supreme Court to resolve the matter.
The Supreme Court has already received eight emergency requests from the Trump administration as of March 28. With many more cases on the way, it could lead to an overwhelming number of legal filings for the Court.
Previous Court Rulings
During President Donald Trump’s first 100 days in office, several of his policies were blocked by federal district court judges, some of which were later overturned by appellate courts or the Supreme Court. However, some decisions were upheld, particularly those regarding immigration policies.
TPS Decisions Under Trump and Biden
In the early days of his presidency, Donald Trump signed executive orders aimed at ending TPS for several countries. His goal was to carry out mass deportations for individuals who did not choose to self-deport.
However, just before Joe Biden left office, he extended TPS protections for people from Venezuela, Haiti, and other nations facing difficult conditions. This move was seen as a reversal of Trump’s policies.