Migrants living in the United States under temporary protected status must either apply for permanent residency or return to their home countries, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullen said, following a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that could lead to major changes to immigration protections.Speaking on CNN’s State of the Union, Mullen said those affected must either regularize their situation or prepare to leave, adding that the government could help with departure arrangements.“Either you try to fill out the paperwork and be here on permanent status or we will help you return to your country,” Mullen said.“We will actually give you a plane ticket, plus approximately $2,100 to help you get back to normal when you get there, but temporary protected status, according to the courts and by the name itself, is not a permanent status,” he added.His comments came after a divided US Supreme Court decision that paved the way for the Trump administration to revoke humanitarian protections for hundreds of thousands of migrants. The ruling affects people who have been allowed to remain in the United States under Temporary Protected Status (TPS), a program created for those fleeing conflict, natural disasters and other crises.Federal law allows the government to grant TPS to people who cannot safely return to their countries due to war, disaster, or similar circumstances.
This status is often renewed for years at a time, allowing beneficiaries to live and work legally in the United States.TPS was first granted to Haitians after the devastating 2010 earthquake and to Syrians in 2012 after the outbreak of civil war. However, the Foreign Office still advises against travel to both countries, citing continued violence, crime, terrorism and kidnappings.The U.S. Supreme Court ruling could affect an estimated 350,000 Haitians and about 6,000 Syrians, potentially subjecting them to detention or deportation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as protections expire.
The court’s conservative majority ruled that the rivals were unlikely to prove that the administration’s actions were racially motivated.The decision sparked political controversy across the United States. Some Republican leaders criticized the move. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine said the situation in Haiti remains unsafe, and warned of the economic impact of keeping workers away for long periods, especially in health care.“Haitians are the ones who are often taking care of your mother or father who has Alzheimer’s disease, taking care of family members who may be in a nursing home,” DeWine said.
“And saying that we will withdraw all of these is not in our personal interest.”Immigration advocates and affected communities have also raised concerns, warning that ending TPS could disrupt families who have lived and worked in the United States for decades. In Springfield, Ohio, Haitian residents described uncertainty and fear about what the ruling might mean for their future, while some local officials and Republican lawmakers also called for the protections to be extended.TPS currently covers about 1.7 million people from 17 countries.
