The Supreme Court's 6-3 ruling bars most judicial review of TPS terminations, exposing 350,000 Haitians and 6,000 Syrians to potential deportation under the Trump administration.
The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 on June 25 that the Trump administration may proceed with terminating Temporary Protected Status for nationals of Haiti and Syria, clearing the last significant judicial obstacle to those removals [1]. The decision affects approximately 350,000 Haitian nationals and 6,000 Syrian nationals currently residing in the United States under TPS designations [2]. Justice Samuel Alito authored the majority opinion [1].
The cases, consolidated under the captions Mullin v. Doe and Trump v. Miot, arose after lower federal courts had blocked or constrained DHS efforts to end TPS protections for both populations [2]. TPS is a humanitarian designation that grants lawful presence and work authorization to nationals of countries experiencing ongoing armed conflict, natural disasters, or other extraordinary conditions. DHS had moved to wind down the Haiti and Syria designations as part of a broader enforcement posture, and challengers argued that the terminations were arbitrary and subject to Administrative Procedure Act review [2].
The Court's ruling carries significance well beyond the two affected populations. The majority held that federal law generally bars judicial review of TPS designation and termination decisions, meaning courts cannot scrutinize the Secretary of Homeland Security's discretionary calls on which countries qualify, or cease to qualify, for TPS coverage [2]. That holding forecloses a class of APA challenges that immigration advocates had used to slow or reverse enforcement actions across multiple administrations. Critics of the decision argue it removes a structural check on executive power over hundreds of thousands of lawfully present individuals, while the administration framed the outcome as restoring the statute's original intent [1] [2]. The ruling also sets a template for future TPS terminations affecting other designated nationalities, several of which are currently under administrative review by DHS [2].
DHS issued a statement following the ruling describing it as one of several Supreme Court wins on immigration enforcement and signaling that the agency intends to move forward promptly with removal proceedings for individuals who cannot establish an independent basis for remaining in the United States [1]. Affected TPS holders will face agency-set wind-down periods before status formally lapses, and advocates have indicated they will pursue any remaining avenues, including congressional relief, to forestall deportations [2]. The practical timeline for large-scale removals will depend on DHS operational capacity and whether any narrow procedural challenges survive the Court's new jurisdictional framework.