Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., has accused President Donald Trump of a "betrayal" of his voters following a pair of Supreme Court rulings that favor his administration's immigration policies. The court's decisions permit the administration to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for migrants from Haiti and Syria, potentially leading to the removal of legal protections that have allowed many individuals to live and work in the U.S. for years.
The TPS designation for Haitians has been in place since the country's 2010 earthquake, while Syrians have had similar protections since 2012 due to the civil war in their country. Ocasio-Cortez argued that these rulings target individuals Trump supporters were told would not be the focus of his immigration enforcement efforts. She stated that the decisions go against Trump's alleged promise to focus only on "criminals and rapists."
"This decision to overturn TPS targets nurses, it targets health care workers, it targets domestic workers, cleaners, people who work in restaurants," Ocasio-Cortez told Fox News Digital, labeling it "a real betrayal of President Trump's promise."
She further contended that the ruling could negatively impact U.S. citizens by potentially increasing prices and exacerbating labor shortages, in addition to disrupting established communities.
House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., also criticized the Trump administration and Republicans concerning the asylum ruling, asserting that the president has repeatedly attacked a long-standing legal process. "People are fleeing terrible conditions and they have a lawful right to declare asylum," Aguilar said.
White House Deputy Press Secretary Abigail Jackson defended the ruling, stating, "Temporary Protected Status was always meant to be temporary. It was never meant to be a pathway to permanent status or citizenship... our asylum system, for years, has been abused and exploited by bad actors." Jackson added that the ruling is "a step in the right direction towards clearing up our asylum system and making sure that people who are here, who shouldn't be here, should be deported."
Regarding potential legislative action, Aguilar indicated that Democrats had advanced legislation in the House to provide certainty for TPS recipients, which is now awaiting Senate action. "We forced a discharge petition, and were successful because we believe in governing," he said, referring to House-passed bills aimed at extending TPS protections for Haitians.
Rep. Shomari Figures, D-Ala., expressed his disappointment with the court's decision, noting that he was "beyond the point of being surprised by almost any decision that comes out of court." He defended TPS for Haiti, citing the country's ongoing natural disasters, political instability, and violence as reasons for its continued necessity.