The US Supreme Court has ruled that the Trump administration can terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for hundreds of thousands of Haitian and Syrian immigrants. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing BBC News.
The 6-3 decision overturned lower court rulings that had blocked the termination of TPS for 350,000 people from Haiti and 6,100 from Syria.
TPS is granted to individuals whose home countries cannot accommodate them due to war or natural disasters. Recipients can legally live and work in the US for up to 18 months, subject to extensions.
Justice Samuel Alito wrote that the law governing TPS clearly prevents courts from reviewing government decisions. He also said Haitian migrants were unlikely to prove racial discrimination.
The three liberal justices dissented. Justice Elena Kagan said the government's decision was racially motivated, noting that "the statements fairly shout, in their racial undertones and overtones alike, that race entered into the President's resolve to remove Haitians from this country."
During his 2024 presidential campaign, Trump amplified false rumors about Haitian immigrants. The ruling clears the way for potential deportation of TPS recipients.
Jill Habig, CEO of Public Rights Project, said the decision puts hundreds of thousands at risk, warning of family separation and economic harm.
In a separate ruling, the court backed the Trump administration on asylum at the US-Mexico border. The 6-3 decision said migrants must set foot on US soil to apply for asylum. Justice Alito called the case "straightforward," stating that "no one would say that a person 'arrives in' a place before entering it." Justice Sonia Sotomayor, dissenting, warned that "more people will die."