The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled in favor of the Trump administration in two significant immigration cases, impacting Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian and Syrian nationals and asylum claims for migrants at the border. The decisions, which allow the administration to end TPS protections without federal court review and deny asylum to those turned away at the border, have sparked strong opposition from Democratic leaders in several states.
In a 6-3 decision in Mullin v. Doe, the Supreme Court determined that Haitian and Syrian nationals with TPS cannot seek federal court intervention to delay the revocation of their legal status. The court also held that migrants intercepted at the southern border before entering the U.S. are not eligible to apply for asylum.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced that the state would resist the ruling by designating "sensitive locations" to obstruct ICE agents and banning masks for immigration enforcers. "This is New York. We fight back. We defend our people," Hochul stated. "For those who think they can come here and just tell us that that's going to be the different way that it is, you got to get to us first."
New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams characterized the Trump administration's policies as operating with a "White supremacist lens," asserting that "his policies are based on treating people like they are not human beings, particularly if they're Black and Brown."
New York Attorney General Letitia James called the ruling a "betrayal of who we are supposed to be as a nation." Mayor Zohran Mamdani of New York City announced the activation of a free municipal legal hotline to assist affected immigrants, stating, "The people of New York City are going to show up for you as we face down a Supreme Court ruling that just opened the door to fear instability and the threat of deportation for so many."
In Massachusetts, Governor Maura Healey criticized the decision, arguing it "makes no sense for our families, our economy, our communities, [or] our country." Boston Mayor Michelle Wu addressed migrants directly, assuring them, "You belong here."
The ruling also drew criticism from within the Republican party. Representative Mike Lawler of New York expressed concern that ending TPS for Haitians could create a healthcare crisis, noting that approximately one-third of the over 350,000 lawful Haitian TPS holders work in the U.S. healthcare system. Lawler cited the gang violence in Haiti, as indicated by the State Department's Level 4 travel advisory, as a reason for extending protections and urged an orderly process for Haitian TPS holders to maintain work authorizations.
The White House and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) celebrated the rulings. White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson stated, "This ruling is a tremendous win for the Trump administration. Today, the Supreme Court affirmed what President Trump has always maintained: temporary protected status is, by definition, temporary. It was never intended to be a pathway to permanent status or legal residency." DHS General Counsel James Percival added on X that "the T in TPS stands for TEMPORARY, yet many of these designations became de facto amnesty," calling the decision "a win for the rule of law and common sense."