The US Supreme Court has handed President Donald Trump a significant victory by permitting his administration to revoke a temporary legal status from over 500,000 immigrants. This decision affects hundreds of thousands of Venezuelan, Cuban, Haitian, and Nicaraguan individuals who were granted humanitarian parole under former President Joe Biden’s administration.
The humanitarian parole status allowed these individuals to enter the US due to emergencies or urgent humanitarian reasons, including instability, violence, and political repression in their home countries. However, the Supreme Court’s ruling means that beneficiaries of humanitarian parole could face deportation before a final ruling on whether the revocation of their immigration status is legal.
In a dissenting opinion, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson expressed concerns that the outcome “undervalues the devastating consequences of allowing the government to precipitously upend the lives and livelihoods of nearly half a million noncitizens while their legal claims are pending.” She noted that some affected individuals would face grave harm if their humanitarian parole were cut short.
Trump’s Immigration Policies
Trump’s administration has accused Biden of “broad abuse” in invoking humanitarian parole, claiming that Biden was lax on immigration and oversaw an “invasion” of the US from abroad. Since taking office, Trump’s administration has also suspended applications for asylum and other forms of immigration relief.
The plaintiffs in the humanitarian parole case warned the Supreme Court that they could face life-threatening conditions if forced to leave the country. Lawyers argued that deportation “to the same despotic and unstable countries from which they fled” would put many at risk of danger, persecution, and even death.
Impact on Affected Countries
The countries in question – Nicaragua, Venezuela, Cuba, and Haiti – have experienced significant economic and political crises. In Venezuela, millions have fled due to hyperinflation and political repression. Haiti has been ravaged by gang violence since the assassination of President Jovenal Moise in 2021, with 90% of Port-au-Prince under gang control.
Related Development: US Revocation of Chinese Student Visas
In a related development, the US will start revoking visas for Chinese students with ties to the Communist Party or those studying sensitive fields. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated, “The U.S. will begin revoking visas of Chinese students, including those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields.” China has condemned this move, calling it “unreasonable” and stating that it “seriously undermines their legitimate rights and interests”.