Supreme Court Allows End to Temporary Protected Status for Haitians and Syrians

The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 last week that federal judges lack authority to halt the termination of Temporary Protected Status for an estimated 350,000 Haitians and 6,000 Syrians. The decision allows the administration to proceed with ending the protections that had shielded recipients from deportation and authorized work permits.

Alito wrote for the majority that the TPS statute bars consideration of the challengers’ non-constitutional claims. The ruling overturned lower-court efforts to keep the protections in place and rejected arguments that the terminations were racially motivated.

The administration has moved to end TPS designations for more than a dozen countries since the start of President Trump’s second term. Officials have argued that the prior administration improperly extended the program beyond its statutory limits.

Secretary Markwayne Mullin defended the move on CNN’s State of the Union, stating that the program’s name itself signals its temporary nature. He said recipients have had years to pursue permanent legal status and that the administration would provide plane tickets and about $2,100 in assistance for those choosing voluntary departure.

The State Department continues to advise against travel to both Haiti and Syria because of crime, terrorism, and kidnapping risks. >"Temporary Protected Status was never intended to be permanent. Roughly 1.7 million people from 17 countries currently hold the status nationwide.

Advocates have expressed concern that the administration may seek to end TPS for additional nationalities, potentially affecting the broader program established in 1990.