Solicitor General D. John Sauer on Thursday urged the Supreme Court to revoke Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for over 300,000 Venezuelan immigrants, clearing the way for potential deportations under the Trump administration.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem previously announced the protections would not be renewed, citing national interest. TPS allows migrants to legally remain in the U.S. if returning home would pose danger due to crises like war or natural disasters.
Sauer’s request seeks to overturn a San Francisco judge’s ruling that blocked Noem’s move, a decision that reportedly criticized the DHS Secretary’s actions as racially motivated.
“The order prevents the executive from enforcing a timely immigration policy and unlawfully extends a status Congress meant to be temporary,” Sauer wrote in his emergency appeal.
Justice Elena Kagan ordered the plaintiffs to respond by May 8.
