The Supreme Court cleared the way for the Trump administration to terminate Temporary Protected Status for roughly 300,000 Venezuelan migrants, ruling 8-1 in the administration’s favor.
The decision lifted a lower court injunction that had blocked the Department of Homeland Security from revoking the protections. Only Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented from the ruling.
The Legal Challenge
U.S. District Judge Edward Chen had halted the plan in March, stating that characterizations of the migrants as potential criminals were “baseless and smacks of racism.” The lower court had determined the administration overstepped its authority.
U.S. Solicitor General John Sauer argued before the Supreme Court that the lower court’s reasoning was flawed. “The district court’s reasoning is untenable,” Sauer said, noting that immigration policy involves “particularly discretionary, sensitive, and foreign-policy-laden judgments of the Executive Branch.”
The Policy Timeline
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem revoked the Temporary Protected Status in a February memo with an April effective date. The designation had been extended multiple times under the Biden administration, most recently in January 2025.
Former DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas originally designated Venezuela for the protection in March 2021, citing “extraordinary and temporary conditions” that prevented nationals from safely returning home. Mayorkas extended the designation twice before leaving office.
Other Immigration Actions
Separately, the Supreme Court declined to reinstate a Florida law that would have criminalized illegal entry into the state. The unsigned order offered no explanation and noted no dissenting opinions.
U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams, an Obama appointee, had issued an indefinite injunction against the law, finding it likely preempted by federal immigration law. The ruling followed the Supreme Court’s decision last year to allow a similar Texas law to proceed.
This story has been updated. CNN’s reporting team contributed to this report.
