The U.S. Supreme Court has allowed the Trump administration to terminate the Temporary Protected Status of hundreds of thousands of Haitian and Syrian refugees, placing them at risk of deportation to dangerous conditions in their home countries.
On Thursday, 25 Jun 2026 GMT+7, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that the administration under President Donald Trump may proceed with plans to end the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for approximately 350,000 Haitian immigrants and about 6,000 Syrians, potentially leading to their deportation.
Conservative Justice Samuel Alito, speaking for the majority, stated that the court has no authority to interfere in decisions about this policy's future because the law clearly limits judicial review of the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) choices to extend or end TPS protection.
The court also rejected claims that ending TPS for Haitians was motivated by racial bias, noting that President Trump's rhetoric, such as unsubstantiated accusations that Haitians ate locals' pets, does not amount to explicit racial discrimination sufficient to prove the policy was racially motivated.
Meanwhile, dissenting Justice Elena Kagan argued that Trump's statements clearly reflect racial bias, which influenced the decision to remove Haitians from the country.
Immigrant lawyers and human rights organizations have warned that this ruling effectively sends hundreds of thousands of innocent people back to face violence and death in their countries of origin, which contradicts humanitarian principles, especially since these individuals have lawfully built lives and paid taxes in the U.S. for many years.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security decided to end TPS because then-Secretary Kristi Noem claimed conditions in Haiti and Syria had improved enough to no longer require TPS protection.
However, this claim conflicts with the U.S. State Department’s advisories, which still warn American citizens against traveling to both countries due to ongoing emergencies: Haiti remains in crisis with serious crimes, robberies, sexual assaults, and kidnappings frequently occurring.
Regarding Syria, the State Department clearly states that “no area in Syria is safe from violence.”
Last year, the Supreme Court approved a similar termination of TPS protections for over 600,000 Venezuelans, a precedent the government referenced in this case.
If they lose TPS, Haitian and Syrian immigrants will enter the regular deportation process. However, lawyers are urgently exploring other legal options, such as applying for asylum, to allow them to remain.
Beyond this case, the Trump administration has also ended TPS for immigrants from countries like Afghanistan and Cameroon and terminated a program from the Biden administration that had allowed over 500,000 immigrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela to stay in the U.S. while awaiting court decisions.
TPS is a U.S. humanitarian relief program started in 1990 to legally protect those fleeing war or severe natural disasters in their home countries, granting temporary permission to work in the U.S. for 18 months.
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Source:nbcnews