The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 on Thursday in favor of the Trump administration's bid to strip Temporary Protected Status (TPS) from hundreds of thousands of immigrants. The decision clears the way for the government to remove legal protections from approximately 350,000 Haitians and between 6,000 and 7,000 Syrians, exposing them to potential deportation. TPS allows migrants from countries stricken by war, natural disasters, or political instability to live and work in the U.S. while it remains unsafe to return home. The program currently protects a total of 1.3 million people from 17 countries.
In another victory for the administration's immigration policies, the Supreme Court authorized the government to turn back asylum seekers at the U.S.-Mexico border. This ruling allows federal agents to limit the number of people who can apply for asylum each day when officials deem border crossings too overburdened to handle additional claims. The decision overturns lower court orders and enables the administration to block migrants from setting foot on U.S. soil, where federal law would otherwise guarantee the right to claim asylum and protection from persecution.
These rulings represent a sweeping victory for President Trump, expanding the administration's power to regulate entry and revoke humanitarian status without judicial review. While the conservative majority backed these moves, dissident liberal justices argued that the asylum ruling circumvents U.S. law. Additionally, one justice criticized the role race played in the decision to strip protections from Haitians. The State Department has warned that these changes could force individuals to return to dangerous countries.