By Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent
In a landmark ruling on Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court lifted a lower court’s injunction that had blocked the Trump administration’s effort to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for approximately 300,000 Venezuelan migrants. The brief, unsigned two-paragraph order marks a significant legal win for the administration as it pushes to roll back immigration policies established during the Biden presidency.
With the injunction lifted, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is now authorized to move forward with terminating TPS protections for Venezuelans, initiating immediate removals. This decision is part of a broader strategy targeting Biden-era immigration programs granted to large groups of migrants under special statuses.
U.S. Solicitor General John Sauer, in an emergency appeal to the Supreme Court, criticized the lower court ruling as an “untenable” overreach of judicial authority. He argued that immigration decisions involve sensitive, discretionary judgments by the Executive Branch, particularly when intertwined with foreign policy. Sauer labeled the injunction a “classic case of judicial arrogation” infringing on executive powers.
TPS, established to provide temporary legal status and work permits to individuals from countries facing extraordinary crises such as armed conflict or natural disasters, was extended to Venezuelans in 2021 by the Biden administration and subsequently renewed several times. However, in February, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem abruptly ended TPS protections for Venezuelans, citing concerns about national security risks tied to alleged gang affiliations, specifically with the Tren de Aragua, a group recently designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S.
Earlier, U.S. District Judge Edward Chen had blocked the termination in response to a lawsuit by the National TPS Alliance, describing the decision as “unprecedented” and potentially based on “negative stereotypes.” Sauer vehemently rejected such allegations, stating that criticisms of gang violence and scrutiny of previous immigration policies do not imply racial discrimination.
Legal advocates warn of serious humanitarian consequences. Ahilan Arulanantham, attorney for Venezuelan TPS holders, described the ruling as “the largest single action stripping immigration status from a group of noncitizens in modern U.S. history,” emphasizing its profound social and economic impact.
Although the Supreme Court’s decision permits the administration to begin removals, it does not settle the broader legal dispute. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson was the sole dissenter. Immigration advocates express concern that ending TPS protections will harm families, fracture communities, and push vulnerable migrants into hiding. Murad Awawdeh, president of the New York Immigration Coalition, warned, “This ruling risks tearing families apart and destabilizing communities.”
Conversely, Dale Wilcox of the Immigration Reform Law Institute praised the Supreme Court’s ruling as a defense of presidential authority. “The president holds this power, and the secretary acted as his agent,” Wilcox stated. “We are pleased the Court upheld this vital executive prerogative.”
This ruling marks Venezuela as the first major TPS revocation under the Trump administration’s second term and signals a continuing effort to curtail what the administration views as an overextended immigration relief program.
