The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a legal challenge to efforts from President Donald Trump’s administration to remove the temporary legal status of Haitian and Syrian migrants.
Former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem terminated the temporary protected status (TPS) designation for migrants from Syria, Haiti, and other countries. If the court rules that her actions are lawful, the administration could order the removal of more than 350,000 Haitians and 6,000 Syrians.
The Trump administration argued April 29 that the executive branch has broad discretion to terminate TPS for any country. The challengers, representing the migrants, argued Noem failed to follow the proper procedure and accused officials of unlawfully using racist beliefs about migrants to make their determinations.
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has urged the administration to extend TPS status for both countries.
Migrants’ Lawyers Challenge Trump
Ahilan Arulanantham, who argued on behalf of the Syrians, recognized that the administration has “broad” discretion in determining TPS status but argued that Noem failed to follow proper procedure in her decision-making.
Even though he said Noem can make the final decision to terminate TPS, he noted that the law requires Noem to consult with relevant agencies before deciding.
