WASHINGTON — On Thursday, the Trump administration made an official appeal to the Supreme Court to eliminate temporary legal protections for around 350,000 Venezuelan nationals, potentially putting them at risk of deportation.
The Justice Department has requested the Supreme Court to stay a decision from a federal judge in San Francisco, which had upheld the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Venezuelans, a status that was supposed to expire last month.
This temporary status provides individuals already living in the United States the ability to work and reside without the fear of deportation, as their home countries are deemed unsafe due to events like natural disasters or civil unrest.
Prior to this, a federal appeals court rejected the administration’s request to end these protective measures.
The Trump administration has actively sought to withdraw various protections for immigrants, which includes TPS for a total of 600,000 Venezuelans and 500,000 Haitians. Typically, Temporary Protected Status is issued for periods of 18 months.
The emergency appeal to the Supreme Court comes in light of a ruling from a federal judge in Texas, who declared the administration’s efforts to deport Venezuelans under an outdated wartime law as unlawful. It’s essential to recognize that these two legal cases are not directly connected.
Originally, TPS was set to end on April 7, but U.S. District Judge Edward Chen intervened, arguing that the termination of protections would significantly affect the lives of countless individuals and lead to substantial economic losses.
Judge Chen, who was nominated by former President Barack Obama, stated that the government did not provide sufficient evidence to show any harm that would result from extending the TPS program.
However, Solicitor General D. John Sauer contended on behalf of the administration that Judge Chen’s ruling encroaches on the administration’s jurisdiction concerning immigration and foreign policy.
Additionally, Sauer informed the justices that individuals impacted by the cessation of TPS might have other legal options to remain in the U.S., as this termination does not equate to an outright deportation order.
Established by Congress in 1990, Temporary Protected Status was intended to prevent deportations to countries experiencing severe issues like natural disasters or civil conflict.
