The Trump administration has urged the Supreme Court to remove temporary legal protections from 350,000 Venezuelans, potentially subjecting them to deportation. This request comes in response to a federal judge’s ruling in San Francisco that upheld Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for the Venezuelans, allowing them to reside and work legally in the U.S. due to unsafe conditions in their home country.

Despite a previous rejection by a federal appeals court, the administration continues its efforts to end protections for immigrants, including plans to terminate TPS for a total of 600,000 Venezuelans and 500,000 Haitians. These protections are granted in 18-month intervals.

Simultaneously, a federal judge in Texas deemed the administration’s attempts to deport Venezuelans under an outdated wartime law as illegal. The expiration of TPS for Venezuelans was initially set for April 7 but was halted by U.S. District Judge Edward Chen to prevent significant disruptions and economic losses.

While Chen argued that maintaining the program posed no harm, the administration contends that his order infringes on their immigration and foreign affairs authority. Solicitor General D. John Sauer highlighted alternative legal avenues for affected individuals to stay in the country, emphasizing that terminating TPS does not equate to an immediate removal order.

Established in 1990, TPS was designed by Congress to shield individuals from deportation to nations facing crises such as natural disasters or civil unrest.