Supreme Court approves Trump’s decision to revoke legal status of 530,000 migrants

The United States’ Supreme Court, in a split decision on Friday, permitted the Trump administration to temporarily move forward with plans to rescind legal protections for over 530,000 migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela.

These individuals had previously been allowed to live and work in the country while their immigration cases proceeded.

This marks the second recent instance in which the high court has sided with Trump administration efforts to dismantle programs providing temporary relief for migrants fleeing economic instability or violence. Earlier in the month, justices also permitted the termination of protections for nearly 350,000 Venezuelans.

Although legal challenges against both actions continue in lower courts—and could eventually make their way back to the Supreme Court for full review—the interim rulings enable two of the administration’s most sweeping attempts to remove migrants who had been granted temporary reprieve under President Biden.

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Advocacy groups warn the implications are dire. They say the administration’s move to strip work authorization and status from nearly 900,000 people could lead to widespread upheaval in immigrant communities across the U.S.

Trump officials, however, argue that the migrants represent a strain on public resources and pose safety concerns.

Friday’s ruling focused on a directive from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi L. Noem, who revoked a Biden-era humanitarian parole initiative. That program allowed migrants from the four countries to apply in advance for permission to travel to the U.S. and remain for up to two years.

A federal judge in Massachusetts had previously ruled that Noem could not impose a broad ban on humanitarian parole without assessing individual cases. That decision was upheld by an appellate court in April, prompting the Trump administration to seek emergency relief from the Supreme Court.

“The district court has nullified one of the Administration’s most consequential immigration policy decisions,” Solicitor General D. John Sauer wrote in a filing to the high court.

Initiated in 2022, the parole program was designed under President Biden as a response to surging unauthorized border crossings. It aimed to facilitate security screenings and ease pressure on federal immigration resources. The program also required each migrant to secure a U.S.-based financial sponsor.