Trump administration asks Supreme Court to end legal status for over 500,000 immigrants
Pranjal Chandra | May 08, 2025, 23:38 IST
( Image credit : AP )
The Trump administration is appealing to the Supreme Court to overturn a lower court's decision, seeking to revoke temporary legal protections for over 500,000 immigrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. This action challenges a program offering refuge to those fleeing instability, violence, and economic hardship.
The Trump administration has taken a high-stakes immigration battle to the U.S. Supreme Court, asking justices to allow it to revoke temporary legal protections for more than 500,000 immigrants from four Latin American nations.
At the heart of the case is a Biden-era humanitarian program that allowed people from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela to live and work in the United States for up to two years. Many of these individuals had fled political instability, violence, and economic collapse in their home countries.
The request was filed by Solicitor General D. John Sauer on behalf of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, arguing that a lower court’s decision had overstepped legal boundaries.
In a filing Thursday, Sauer contended that a Massachusetts federal judge “nullified one of the administration’s most consequential immigration policy decisions.” He asserted that the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) gives the executive branch wide discretion to grant or revoke such protections and that the judiciary lacks the authority to interfere in these determinations.
Judge Indira Talwani had previously blocked the administration’s effort to rescind the protections in bulk, insisting that individualized reviews were necessary before removing someone’s legal status.
The program in question offers a Temporary Protected Status (TPS)-like framework that shields migrants from deportation and allows them to work legally in the U.S. It was introduced in response to the growing number of migrants from countries experiencing humanitarian crises and systemic instability.
If the Supreme Court sides with the administration, over half a million immigrants could face the loss of legal status and be vulnerable to deportation many of whom have been living in the U.S. for over a year, working and building community ties.
Among those impacted are thousands of Haitians, a population long beset by political unrest and natural disasters. Migrants from Nicaragua and Cuba, fleeing authoritarian regimes, and Venezuelans escaping economic collapse, would also be affected.
Legal experts are watching this case closely, as it could reshape how much authority federal courts have in overseeing immigration policy. The administration argues that courts should not second-guess executive discretion in this realm, effectively asking the justices to reaffirm a more expansive interpretation of presidential power over immigration.
The Supreme Court has recently taken up multiple immigration cases, often following lower court decisions that blocked Trump-era efforts. In this latest filing, the administration also referenced a parallel case involving Venezuelan migrants as part of its broader push for immigration policy authority.
The move is likely to intensify the already heated debate surrounding immigration ahead of the 2026 midterms. Former President Trump, who is seeking re-election, has repeatedly made immigration a centerpiece of his campaign, pledging mass deportations and tighter border restrictions.
Critics say the push to revoke legal status undermines humanitarian principles and creates uncertainty for thousands of families who had begun to rebuild their lives in the U.S. Immigration advocates argue that removing protections for people fleeing unstable regimes will increase suffering and chaos at the borders and within communities.
The Supreme Court is expected to consider whether to take up the case in the coming weeks. If it agrees to hear the matter, oral arguments could take place as early as fall 2025, with a ruling expected in 2026.
Until then, the current protections remain in place under court order offering temporary reprieve for hundreds of thousands of migrants, even as the legal and political battle escalates.
At the heart of the case is a Biden-era humanitarian program that allowed people from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela to live and work in the United States for up to two years. Many of these individuals had fled political instability, violence, and economic collapse in their home countries.
A legal battle with human stakes
In a filing Thursday, Sauer contended that a Massachusetts federal judge “nullified one of the administration’s most consequential immigration policy decisions.” He asserted that the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) gives the executive branch wide discretion to grant or revoke such protections and that the judiciary lacks the authority to interfere in these determinations.
Judge Indira Talwani had previously blocked the administration’s effort to rescind the protections in bulk, insisting that individualized reviews were necessary before removing someone’s legal status.
Who is affected?
If the Supreme Court sides with the administration, over half a million immigrants could face the loss of legal status and be vulnerable to deportation many of whom have been living in the U.S. for over a year, working and building community ties.
Among those impacted are thousands of Haitians, a population long beset by political unrest and natural disasters. Migrants from Nicaragua and Cuba, fleeing authoritarian regimes, and Venezuelans escaping economic collapse, would also be affected.
Broader legal implications
The Supreme Court has recently taken up multiple immigration cases, often following lower court decisions that blocked Trump-era efforts. In this latest filing, the administration also referenced a parallel case involving Venezuelan migrants as part of its broader push for immigration policy authority.
A Divisive Political Flashpoint
Critics say the push to revoke legal status undermines humanitarian principles and creates uncertainty for thousands of families who had begun to rebuild their lives in the U.S. Immigration advocates argue that removing protections for people fleeing unstable regimes will increase suffering and chaos at the borders and within communities.
What comes next?
Until then, the current protections remain in place under court order offering temporary reprieve for hundreds of thousands of migrants, even as the legal and political battle escalates.