The U.S. Supreme Court delivered a significant win for President Donald Trump by overturning a lower-court injunction that had blocked the administration from ending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for hundreds of thousands of migrants, particularly Venezuelans. In an 8–1 ruling, with Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson dissenting, the Court sided with the administration, affirming that TPS decisions fall within executive discretion, especially given their connection to foreign policy. With the injunction lifted, the Trump administration can move forward with plans to revoke Biden-era TPS protections and initiate deportations for roughly 300,000 Venezuelan migrants, signaling a broader emphasis on executive control over immigration enforcement.
TPS protections for Venezuelans have a complex history. Originally granted in March 2021 under Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas due to political instability and humanitarian crises in Venezuela, TPS was extended multiple times, including through 2025 and 2026. In 2023, a separate redesignation further expanded eligibility, creating dual categories for Venezuelans and allowing a larger group to remain temporarily in the U.S. These extensions reflected the Biden administration’s use of TPS as a humanitarian and stabilizing policy for migrants fleeing crisis conditions in the Western Hemisphere.
When Kristi Noem became DHS Secretary under Trump, she quickly rescinded Mayorkas’s 2023 TPS extensions, arguing that Venezuela no longer met the criteria for protection and that continued TPS was contrary to national interest. A federal district judge blocked Noem’s initial attempt in March, citing concerns about racial bias and lack of factual support. However, the Supreme Court ruling ultimately restored the administration’s authority, allowing DHS to proceed with TPS terminations and enforcement operations.
Following the reinstated authority, DHS reported dramatic increases in removals and voluntary departures. By late October 2025, over 527,000 individuals had been deported, with an additional 1.6 million leaving voluntarily. These figures underscore the administration’s aggressive enforcement approach, marking one of the most significant shifts in TPS policy in decades. The Supreme Court decision illustrates the judiciary’s central role in defining executive power over immigration, while highlighting the fragility of humanitarian protections under changing administrations.
