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Catholic immigration advocates have expressed concern following a Supreme Court decision that allows the Trump administration to terminate legal protections for approximately 350,000 Venezuelan immigrants. These individuals had been allowed to remain in the United States under Temporary Protected Status (TPS) due to unsafe conditions in Venezuela.
The Supreme Court's order on May 19 halted a previous ruling by a federal judge in San Francisco, which had prevented Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem from ending TPS for these immigrants. Anna Gallagher, executive director of the Catholic Legal Immigration Network (CLINIC), criticized the decision as "cruel and unwarranted," emphasizing that revoking legal status from vulnerable people is unjust.
Earlier this month, the Trump administration requested that the Supreme Court revoke TPS for Venezuelans. The plan was initially blocked by U.S. District Judge Edward Chen, who suggested that Noem's actions were partly motivated by animus, citing her derogatory remarks about Venezuelan migrants.
The Supreme Court's brief order did not provide reasoning or specify how justices voted but noted that Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson opposed the administration's request. Gallagher pointed out that Venezuela remains dangerous, with the State Department advising against travel there due to risks such as wrongful detention and civil unrest.
Judith Cortez holds pictures of her sons Jose Alfredo and Anderson Torres at their home in El Tocuyo, Venezuela. Her sons died after being shot by members of the Special Action Force of the Venezuelan National Police.
Ilissa Mira, CLINIC senior attorney, highlighted the uncertainty faced by Venezuelans who may lose legal status and work authorization. Gallagher urged for a just solution for those relying on TPS and emphasized protecting human life and dignity.
In another case on May 16, the Supreme Court criticized an attempt by the Trump administration to deport another group of Venezuelans in Texas with only one day's notice under the Alien Enemies Act. The court remanded this case back to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals due to concerns over inadequate notice given to migrants facing deportation.
Kate Scanlon reports on these developments for OSV News from Washington.
