Trending Now - Supreme Court to Review End of Protections for Haitian, Syrian Migrants
WHO:
The Supreme Court
Trump administration
Solicitor General D. John Sauer
Lupe Aguirre, director of the International Refugee Assistance Project
Immigration attorneys representing migrants from Haiti and Syria
WHAT:
The Supreme Court will hear arguments regarding the Trump administration’s push to end legal protections for migrants from Haiti and Syria.
The court declined to immediately lift protections for hundreds of thousands of people on March 16th, 2026.
The Trump administration filed emergency appeals after lower courts stopped the immediate end of the program for 350,000 people from Haiti and 6,000 people from Syria.
A total of about 1.3 million people have been granted temporary protected status (TPS).
The protections for Haitians were first granted in 2010 and have been extended multiple times.
Protections for Syrians were first granted in 2012.
WHERE:
Washington, D.C.
Courts in New York and Washington, D.C.
WHEN:
The Supreme Court will hear the case in April 2026.
The protections for Haitians were first granted in 2010.
The protections for Syrians were first granted in 2012.
The fall of President Bashar Assad’s government occurred in late 2024.
WHY:
The Trump administration argues that the Department of Homeland Security has sole power over the TPS program, which is designed to be temporary.
Immigration attorneys argue that conditions in Haiti and Syria remain dangerous, making it unsafe for migrants to return.
HOW:
The Trump administration is seeking a broad ruling that would block courts from intervening when Homeland Security decides to end protections.
The TPS designation is granted in 18-month increments by the Homeland Security secretary.
(UPDATED March 17, 2026 13:27 UTC)
The Supreme Court is set to hear arguments in April regarding President Trump's administration's efforts to end legal protections for migrants from Haiti and Syria, after lower courts halted the immediate termination of these protections for over 350,000 Haitians and 6,000 Syrians. The Trump administration contends that the Department of Homeland Security has the exclusive authority to manage the Temporary Protected Status program, which has been in place for Haitians since 2010 and for Syrians since 2012, while immigration attorneys argue that dangerous conditions in both countries make it unsafe for these migrants to return. The court declined to lift protections for these individuals last Monday, as the administration seeks a ruling that would prevent judicial intervention in Homeland Security's decisions regarding the TPS program.