The Trump administration took a significant step on Thursday by urging the Supreme Court to annul temporary legal protections for 350,000 Venezuelans. This move has the potential to make these individuals vulnerable to deportation.
The Justice Department sought the Supreme Court’s intervention to suspend a ruling from a federal judge in San Francisco. This ruling had extended the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Venezuelans, a program that was otherwise set to expire the previous month.
TPS allows individuals already residing in the United States to remain and work legally, as their countries of origin are deemed unsafe due to natural disasters or civil upheaval. A prior appeal to a federal appeals court to overturn this decision was unsuccessful for the administration.
Under Donald Trump’s presidency, efforts were made to roll back multiple protections that had previously permitted immigrants to stay in the U.S. This included plans to end TPS for a total number of 600,000 Venezuelans and 500,000 Haitians. The TPS is typically granted in 18-month intervals.
Coincidentally, on the same day as the Supreme Court filing, a federal judge in Texas ruled against the administration’s use of an 18th-century wartime law to deport Venezuelans. Although the cases are separate, they highlight the ongoing legal battles over immigration policies.
Initially, the protections were slated to expire by April 7. However, Judge Edward Chen from the U.S. District Court ordered a halt to these plans. He argued that letting the protections expire would heavily disrupt the lives of many and potentially cause billions in lost economic activity. Appointed by former President Barack Obama, Chen contended that the administration had not demonstrated any harm by maintaining the program.
Solicitor General D. John Sauer, representing the administration, told the justices that Chen’s order unlawfully interferes with the administration’s authority over immigration and foreign affairs.
Moreover, Sauer pointed out that those facing the termination of their protected status might have alternative legal pathways to remain in the country, as the “decision to terminate TPS is not equivalent to a final removal order.”
Congress originally established the TPS in 1990 to halt deportations to countries afflicted by natural disasters or severe civil unrest. The unfolding legal challenges underscore the complexity and contentious nature of immigration policies in the U.S.