U.S. Seeks Supreme Court Stay on Syrian TPS Termination

The Trump administration on Thursday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to lift a lower court order blocking the end of Temporary Protected Status for approximately 6,000 Syrian nationals living in the United States, marking the third such emergency appeal in its broader campaign to terminate the humanitarian program.

The Justice Department, through Solicitor General D. John Sauer, filed the request to halt a November ruling by U.S. District Judge Katherine Polk Failla in Manhattan, which prevented the Department of Homeland Security from revoking the protections while lawsuits proceed. The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals declined to stay that order on February 17. Without Supreme Court intervention, the administration argued, lower courts would continue to delay executive decisions on the program, which it views as contrary to national interests.

Temporary Protected Status, established under U.S. law, shields migrants from countries facing armed conflict, natural disasters or other crises from deportation and grants them work authorization. The program was first extended to Syrians in 2012 amid the onset of civil war under former President Barack Obama. Homeland Security Secretary...