In a significant blow to the hopes of hundreds of thousands of Venezuelan migrants living in the United States, the Supreme Court has ruled in favor of the Trump administration, allowing it to terminate deportation protections for approximately 350,000 individuals. This decision marks one of the largest single actions stripping non-citizens of immigration status in modern US history.
Temporary Protected Status (TPS), a program introduced in the wake of natural disasters and conflicts, allows people from designated countries to live and work legally in the United States until conditions improve in their homeland. The Trump administration had initially sought to end TPS protections for Venezuelans in April 2025, more than a year before they were originally set to expire in October 2026.
A California federal court had previously halted this plan, but the Supreme Court’s decision effectively lifts that hold and allows the administration to proceed with its plans. In an emergency appeal, the justices did not provide a reasoning for their ruling, instead issuing a two-paragraph order that was met with shock from immigration advocates.
“This is truly shocking,” said Ahilan Arulanantham, who represents TPS holders in the case. “The humanitarian and economic impact of the Court’s decision will be felt immediately, and will reverberate for generations.” The ruling means that thousands of Venezuelans face an uncertain future, with many at risk of deportation back to a country plagued by political turmoil and economic instability.
This decision is part of a larger trend in which the Trump administration has sought to use the Supreme Court to shape immigration policy. In recent weeks, the administration has asked the high court to end humanitarian parole for hundreds of thousands of Cuban, Haitian, Nicaraguan, and Venezuelan immigrants, further underscoring its commitment to restricting migration into the United States.
While this ruling marks a significant setback for Venezuelans in the US, it is not the only recent development that may impact migrants from the region. The administration is also expected to revoke TPS protections for tens of thousands of Haitians in August, potentially adding to the number of individuals at risk of deportation.
In another immigration-related case, the Supreme Court blocked Trump’s attempt to use the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to deport immigrants in north Texas last week, dealing a blow to the administration’s efforts to swiftly remove thousands from the US. Despite this setback, the ruling on Venezuelan TPS holders serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing tensions surrounding immigration policy in the United States.
As the nation continues to grapple with the complexities of migration and humanitarian crises, one thing is clear: the lives of hundreds of thousands of individuals hang in the balance, and the implications of this decision will be felt for years to come.
Sourced from https://www.bbc.com/
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