The Department of Homeland Security is moving to end temporary protected status for nationals of seven countries after the Supreme Court cleared the Trump administration to proceed with terminations for thousands of Haitians and Syrians.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services on Tuesday issued a series of notices to Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements, or SAVE, user agencies addressing TPS for Haiti, Syria, Somalia, Yemen, Ethiopia, Burma (Myanmar), and South Sudan.
The notices state that TPS-related documentation for affected nationals will remain valid only through July 10.
The notices appear to mark a broader administrative step following the Supreme Court's 6-3 decision in Mullin v. Doe, which directly involved Haiti and Syria. In that case, the court ruled in favor of DHS and lifted lower-court orders that had prevented the administration from carrying out TPS terminations for the two countries.
USCIS did not frame the July 10 date as a new long-term extension. Instead, several of the notices described the short extension as "limited relief" that will remain in place only until the relevant lower courts "align" with the Supreme Court's ruling in Mullin.
That language suggests DHS views the Supreme Court's decision as controlling beyond the two countries directly before the justices, while also acknowledging that some lower-court orders remain in effect.
The agency's notices direct SAVE users, including state and local agencies that verify immigration status for public benefits or other programs, to follow updated verification guidance for affected TPS holders.
Temporary protected status allows foreign nationals already in the United States to remain and obtain work authorization when their home countries are deemed unsafe because of war, natural disaster, or other extraordinary conditions.
The designation is temporary but has often been extended for years.
The Trump administration has argued that several TPS designations have outlived their original purpose and that the executive branch has broad authority to determine when conditions no longer justify protected status.
The notices do not say whether the Department of Justice has filed motions in each affected district court seeking to dissolve or modify injunctions. But they make clear that DHS is preparing to wind down TPS protections for the affected countries on July 10 unless another court order intervenes.
The move could affect thousands of foreign nationals who have relied on TPS-related work authorization and protection from deportation.
Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.