One of the biggest issues that propelled President Donald Trump back into the Oval Office in November 2024 was his pledge to seal the U.S. border and begin mass deportations.
In addition to those policies, the president also promised to end asylum protections for millions of people in the U.S. illegally.
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Regarding the latter, Trump got a massive boost from two federal courts on Friday.
Two federal judges ruled Friday that the Trump administration may move forward with ending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) protections for eligible nationals of South Sudan and Myanmar, allowing the administration to proceed with plans to terminate their deportation protections and work authorization.
The rulings, issued by federal judges in Boston and Chicago, rejected emergency requests from immigrant-rights organizations seeking to preserve the TPS designations.
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The decisions follow a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in June that allowed the administration to end similar protections for migrants from Haiti and Syria.
That 6-3 decision also limited the ability of lower federal courts to block Department of Homeland Security efforts to terminate TPS designations for multiple countries.
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Temporary Protected Status is a humanitarian program that permits eligible nationals of countries affected by armed conflict, natural disasters, or other extraordinary conditions to remain in the United States temporarily and obtain authorization to work while the designation remains in effect.
The Department of Homeland Security moved in November to terminate TPS for nationals of South Sudan and Myanmar.
South Sudan first received the designation in 2011 because of ongoing armed conflict, while Myanmar has remained eligible following the military coup that seized power in 2021.
The administration’s actions affect approximately 232 South Sudanese nationals and about 4,000 individuals from Myanmar who had been protected under the program.
Earlier rulings by U.S. District Judge Patti Saris in Boston and U.S. District Judge Matthew Kennelly in Chicago temporarily blocked DHS from ending the designations.
Following the Supreme Court’s June decision, immigrant-rights organizations renewed their legal challenge, arguing that DHS lacked statutory authority to terminate TPS designations.
In separate rulings Friday, both judges rejected that argument.
Saris concluded that accepting the plaintiffs’ position would undermine not only DHS’s authority to terminate TPS but also its longstanding authority to extend the protections.
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Kennelly reached a similar conclusion in the case involving Myanmar.
Following the decisions, DHS General Counsel James Percival said on X that the rulings leave only the department’s efforts to terminate TPS for Ethiopia and Somalia temporarily blocked by the courts.
He urged other federal judges considering similar cases to rule in favor of the administration, Reuters reported.
“Every day these ‘administrative stays’ are in effect is a day the American people are denied what they voted for,” he said.
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Trump’s immigration agenda has centered on stricter enforcement of federal immigration laws, increased border security, and reducing illegal immigration.
His administration has prioritized expanding deportations of individuals living in the country illegally, increasing cooperation between federal and local law enforcement, and strengthening the role of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The administration has also focused on completing additional border barriers, limiting asylum eligibility in certain cases, expanding detention capacity, and increasing penalties for immigration-related crimes.
Other priorities have included enhanced screening of visa applicants, efforts to prevent visa overstays, and initiatives aimed at discouraging illegal border crossings.
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Trump has also reignited construction of the southern border wall he began during his first term.
In addition, the administration has pursued policies requiring proof of citizenship for certain federal programs, expanded worksite enforcement against employers who knowingly hire unauthorized workers, and sought to end or limit several humanitarian immigration programs through executive action and litigation.
Supporters argue these policies strengthen national security, uphold the rule of law, protect American workers, restore integrity to the immigration system, and ease pressure on local services like police, schools, and housing.
This article may contain commentary which reflects the author’s opinion.
