The US Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for nearly 350,000 Venezuelan immigrants, reversing a lower court order that had blocked the move. The TPS program offers deportation relief and work permits to people from countries suffering from conflict or disaster, and was most recently extended to Venezuelans by former US President Joe Biden in 2023, with protection valid through October 2026.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, appointed by President Trump following his return to office in January, rescinded the extension, prompting legal challenges from TPS holders and advocacy groups.

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Plaintiffs argued that conditions in Venezuela remain unsafe and that the administration acted with bias, violating federal law. US District Judge Edward Chen agreed, calling the decision arbitrary and possibly rooted in discriminatory stereotypes. He also noted the economic and social harm likely to result from mass deportations.

Despite this, the Supreme Court granted the Justice Department’s emergency request to pause Chen’s ruling, allowing the administration to move forward while appeals continue. The court’s brief order was unsigned, with Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson the lone public dissenter.

The decision raises fears among TPS holders, many of whom have lived in the U.S. for years and built families and careers. Some are now considering emigration to other countries like Spain, fearing deportation to a nation the US State Department warns is unsafe due to crime, political repression, and poor infrastructure.

Although the ruling permits the administration to revoke TPS status, it leaves open the possibility of legal challenges if the government attempts to invalidate existing work permits or documents valid through 2026.

This move aligns with Trump’s broader immigration strategy, which includes increasing deportations and revoking humanitarian protections for migrants.

(With inputs from Reuters)