US DHS says TPS migrants must choose residency or leave

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said on Sunday that hundreds of thousands of migrants from Haiti and Syria living in the United States under Temporary Protected Status must now seek permanent residency or accept a voluntary return to their home countries. The announcement follows a Supreme Court ruling last week that cleared the way for the Trump administration to end the humanitarian protections.

In an interview on CNN's "State of the the Union," Mullin outlined the options for affected individuals. He stated they can apply for lawful permanent residence or a temporary visa if they qualify. For those who choose to return voluntarily, the administration will provide a plane ticket and approximately $2,100 to aid in their reestablishment. "Temporary Protected Status, according to the courts and in its name itself, is not permanent status," Mullin said.

The Supreme Court's decision on Thursday overturned lower court rulings that had blocked the administration's plan to terminate TPS for roughly 330,000 immigrants from Haiti and Syria. Federal law allows the granting of temporary legal residency to people fleeing war, disaster, or other crises, but the administration...