The U.S. Supreme Court has authorized the Trump administration to revoke temporary protected status (TPS) for nearly 350,000 Venezuelan immigrants, clearing the way for potential deportations. The decision grants an emergency request from the administration and permits officials to proceed with ending a policy initially expanded by the Biden administration.
The TPS program, established in 1990, provides humanitarian relief to individuals from countries facing extreme conditions such as war, natural disasters, or political upheaval. In March 2021, the Biden administration designated Venezuelans for TPS in response to Venezuela’s ongoing instability, allowing recipients to legally remain in the U.S. and obtain work permits. That designation was extended in October 2023, just before President Trump took office again, with protections set to expire in October 2026.
However, in February, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced plans to terminate the extension, potentially cutting off protections as early as this year. U.S. District Judge Edward Chen previously blocked the move, citing concerns that the decision may have been influenced by racial bias and would subject thousands of people to imminent deportation.
The Supreme Court’s brief order, issued Monday, allows the administration to bypass that lower court injunction. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented, indicating she would have denied the request. Legal proceedings will now resume in lower courts, but the decision represents one of the most sweeping removals of legal status in recent history.
Lawyers representing Venezuelan immigrants expressed alarm over the high court’s decision, warning of the humanitarian consequences. They argued that revoking the TPS designation would lead to mass job losses and force families to return to dangerous conditions in Venezuela.
Solicitor General D. John Sauer defended the administration’s authority, arguing that immigration decisions must remain flexible and subject to the executive branch’s discretion. The administration insists that courts should not interfere with policy decisions explicitly delegated to federal officials by Congress.
The ruling follows another Supreme Court decision just days earlier, which required the Trump administration to give immigrants an opportunity to contest deportations under the Alien Enemies Act. While that case ended in a setback for the administration, the TPS decision marks a pivotal win for President Trump’s immigration agenda.
