The Trump administration has petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court for authorization to terminate legal protections for over 500,000 migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela. Solicitor General John Sauer filed the emergency request Thursday seeking to overturn a lower court’s injunction that currently blocks the policy change.
The contested measure would revoke humanitarian parole status granted under the Biden administration, which since 2023 allowed 30,000 monthly entries from the four crisis-stricken nations. District Judge Indira Talwani had ruled in April that the Trump administration misinterpreted immigration statutes, noting the parole program specifically authorized legal entry unlike unauthorized border crossings.
This marks the administration’s second major Supreme Court immigration appeal this month, following last week’s request to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 350,000 Venezuelans. The Biden administration had extended those protections weeks before leaving office, citing ongoing political turmoil and humanitarian crises in Venezuela.
The legal battles unfold as President Trump implements hardline campaign promises on immigration. Recent measures include using the 1799 Alien Enemies Act to transfer detained Venezuelan nationals to Salvadoran prisons and mass deportation operations targeting undocumented residents. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has defended the policies as necessary for border security, while immigrant advocates warn of returning vulnerable populations to dangerous conditions.
Should the conservative-leaning court grant the administration’s request, affected migrants would face immediate loss of work permits and deportation eligibility. Legal experts suggest the case could redefine presidential authority over humanitarian immigration programs established by previous administrations.
