The Supreme Court delivered a significant victory to the Trump administration on Friday, granting an emergency request to end Temporary Protected Status for more than 300,000 Venezuelan nationals residing in the United States.
In a 6–3 decision, the Court reversed an injunction by U.S. District Judge Edward Chen of the Northern District of California, who twice attempted to block the administration’s cancellation of TPS, first in March and again in September. The high court’s ruling clears the way for the Department of Homeland Security to proceed with the program’s termination, marking the second time the Supreme Court has sided with the administration on the issue this year.
“President Trump is restoring America’s immigration system so that it actually benefits the U.S. citizen, and today’s Supreme Court victory is a win for the American people and common sense,” said Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin in a statement. “The American people should not have had to go to the Supreme Court twice to see justice done. Temporary Protected Status was always intended to be temporary. Yet previous administrations abused, exploited, and mangled TPS into a de facto amnesty program.”
Created in 1990, TPS temporarily allows nationals from countries affected by war or disaster to remain and work in the U.S. However, critics of the program, including the Trump administration, have long argued that the “temporary” designation has been repeatedly extended for decades without review, effectively granting long-term amnesty.
The ruling affects Venezuelan nationals who were granted protection under the program beginning in 2021, when the Biden administration cited political instability and economic collapse in Venezuela as justification for its continuation. The Trump administration, which reinitiated a review of all TPS designations upon returning to office, has sought to restore the program’s original intent and limit its potential for abuse.
McLaughlin said that the Biden-era expansions of TPS worsened the immigration crisis and endangered American communities. “The Biden administration allowed millions of unvetted illegal aliens into our country, exacerbating the issue and endangering all Americans,” she said. “Now that it’s clear the law and the American people are on our side, Secretary Noem will continue to use every tool at our disposal to prioritize the safety of all U.S. citizens.”
The Supreme Court’s decision follows similar victories for the administration in its efforts to wind down TPS protections for citizens of Honduras, Nicaragua, and Nepal. The Department of Homeland Security said it will work closely with the State Department and other agencies to ensure an orderly transition for those affected.
