Trump administration asks Supreme Court to strip legal protections from Venezuelan migrants

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration on Thursday asked the Supreme Court to strip the legal protections that have allowed hundreds of thousands of Venezuelan migrants living in the United States to remain and work under temporary protected status, according to a petition filed with the high court.

The filing marks the administration's latest bid to recalibrate protections tied to Venezuela's political and economic crisis. It asks the justices to review lower-court rulings that preserved the TPS-related protections for Venezuelans who are in the United States. The administration argues that the protections should be narrowed or ended for those already granted TPS, a move that, if approved, could affect a substantial portion of the Venezuelan migrant population in the country.

If the Supreme Court agrees to hear the case, a ruling could reshape the status of many Venezuelan migrants who rely on TPS to stay in the United States, the administration wrote in its petition. The document suggests that hundreds of thousands of people could be affected, depending on the court’s interpretation of the relevant statutes and executive authority. Legal analysts cautioned that the outcome could take months to materialize and would depend on the court’s willingness to take up the dispute.

Legal advocates and immigration analysts said the action underscores the ongoing policy fight over who should receive protections and for how long. The case comes as federal courts have handled a string of challenges to TPS and related measures, reflecting a broader debate over how the United States manages protections for migrants from Venezuela and other nations. Earlier this month, a federal judge ordered updates to the immigration website for Venezuelans with TPS, illustrating the ongoing interaction between policy decisions and how they are implemented on the ground.

The petition places the question of TPS on a high-stakes national stage, with implications for how the executive branch can modify or terminate protections granted under federal law. While the court has not announced a hearing date, the outcome will influence not only Venezuelan migrants but the broader framework governing temporary protections for populations facing crises abroad. No immediate changes in protections are expected unless the court rules in favor of the administration, but the case signals a continued trajectory in which immigration policy and executive authority intersect at the Supreme Court.

The dispute highlights a long-running, politically charged debate in U.S. politics over migration policy, executive power, and the use of immigration protections in response to conditions overseas. Officials said the move does not affect other forms of relief or status for Venezuelans outside TPS and would be limited to the protections at issue in the petition.