The United States Supreme Court on Monday authorised the Trump administration to strip legal protections from 350,000 Venezuelans, potentially exposing them to deportation.
With only one dissent, the court’s order temporarily suspended a ruling from a federal judge in San Francisco that kept the Venezuelans’ Temporary Protected Status, which would have otherwise expired on April 17.
The protected status allowed Venezuelans and citizens of similar countries who were already in the United States to live and work legally because their native countries were deemed unsafe for return due to natural disaster or civil strife.
The court’s order appeared to be the “single largest action in modern American history stripping any group of non-citizens of immigration status,” said Ahilan Arulanantham, one of the attorneys for Venezuelan migrants.
“This decision will force families to be in an impossible position, either choosing to survive or choosing stability,” said Cecilia Gonzalez Herrera, who sued to try and stop the Trump administration from revoking legal protections from her and others like her.
A federal appeals court rejected the administration’s request to put the order on hold while the lawsuit continues.
Hearing has been set for next week before U.S. District Judge Edward Chen, who had paused the administration’s plans.
In a statement, Homeland Security called the court’s decision a “win for the American people and the safety of our communities”.
It said the Biden administration “exploited programmes to let poorly vetted migrants into this country.”
“The Trump administration is reinstituting integrity into our immigration system to keep our homeland and its people safe,” said spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin.
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