The Supreme Court just handed President Trump a major win, greenlighting his plan to end Temporary Protected Status for over 300,000 Venezuelans. With a swift, unsigned order, the justices paused a pesky federal judge’s ruling that had tied the administration’s hands. The left’s sanctuary dreams took a hit, but don’t expect them to go quietly, as SCOTUSblog.com reports.
The court’s Monday ruling allows the Trump administration to terminate TPS, a program shielding Venezuelans from deportation due to their country’s chaos. This reverses a San Francisco judge’s block on Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem’s prior termination order. In one page, the justices reminded everyone who is in charge of immigration policy.
Back in 2021, then-DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas designated Venezuela for TPS, citing unsafe conditions in that country. He later extended the program, keeping over 300,000 Venezuelans cozy in the U.S. But actions have consequences, and Noem’s move to end this designation reflects a tougher stance on immigration.
The TPS program, born in 1990, lets the DHS secretary shield foreigners from countries in turmoil. It’s a discretionary power, not a blank check for open borders. Yet, progressives have treated it like a sacred cow, ignoring the “temporary” in Temporary Protected Status.
Noem announced the TPS termination earlier this year, sparking predictable outrage. Venezuelan plaintiffs rushed to federal court in San Francisco, begging for a delay. Senior U.S. District Judge Edward Chen, ever sympathetic, granted their request, slamming Noem’s “unprecedented” conduct.
Chen didn’t stop there, accusing Noem of leaning on “negative stereotypes” about Venezuelans. Stereotypes? Sounds like another judicial overreach, projecting woke dogma onto a straightforward policy call.
The Trump administration, undeterred, appealed Chen’s ruling to the 9th Circuit. That court, notorious for its left-leaning bent, refused to pause Chen’s order. So, the administration took it to the Supreme Court, where common sense finally prevailed.
The Supreme Court’s order puts Chen’s ruling on ice while the government’s appeal moves forward. The 9th Circuit, perhaps sensing the heat, has fast-tracked arguments for mid-July. Don’t hold your breath for a fair shake from that bench.
Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, predictably, dissented, saying she’d keep Chen’s order intact. Her lone voice underscores the court’s shift away from activist justices. The majority’s silence spoke louder, prioritizing executive authority over judicial meddling.
The Supreme Court left a sliver of hope for Venezuelans, allowing individual challenges to work permit losses or deportations. Good luck navigating that legal maze while the 9th Circuit dawdles. Litigation drags on, but the administration’s path is clearer now.
Venezuelan TPS beneficiaries cried foul, claiming the court’s pause “would cause more harm than it would prevent.” They warned of “lost employment” and “deportations to an unsafe country.” Heartstrings aside, immigration policy isn’t a feelings contest -- it’s about law and order.
The group also argued that the government wouldn’t be harmed by keeping Chen’s order in place. Really? Tell that to the taxpayers footing the bill for unchecked immigration programs.
U.S. Solicitor General D. John Sauer nailed it: TPS decisions are “discretionary” and tied to sensitive foreign policy. He argued federal law bars courts from second-guessing the DHS secretary’s call. The Supreme Court’s order implicitly agrees, curbing judicial overreach.
The court’s still mulling another Trump appeal on revoking parole for over 500,000 noncitizens from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. If this ruling is any indication, the administration might score another win. The left’s open-border playbook is crumbling fast.
For now, Trump’s team can move forward, unshackled by San Francisco’s activist judiciary. The TPS fight isn’t over, but the Supreme Court just reminded everyone: the executive branch, not unelected judges, calls the shots on immigration. Expect more howls from the progressive crowd, but results speak louder than tantrums.
