The Supreme Court on June 25, 2026, backed Trump administration restrictions on asylum seekers and Temporary Protected Status (TPS)—a legal status that allowed over 350,000 people to live and work in the United States temporarily. Two 6-3 rulings cleared the way for the government to deny asylum claims from people in Mexico and terminate TPS for Haitian and Syrian nationals. However, the Court has not yet directly ruled on the administration's separate suspension of the refugee admissions program, which was announced in January 2025. These decisions reshape who can seek safety in the United States and affect hundreds of thousands of people who have built lives here over more than a decade.
Table of Contents
- What the Supreme Court Decided
- What Is Temporary Protected Status?
- The Refugee Admissions Program
- Who Is Affected?
- How Does This Reverse Prior Practice?
- What Happens Next for TPS Holders?
- Frequently Asked Questions
What the Supreme Court Decided
In Mullin v. Doe, the Court held that federal courts cannot review non-constitutional claims challenging the government's termination of Temporary Protected Status, according to the Supreme Court opinion. This allows the Trump administration to end TPS for approximately 350,000 Haitian nationals and 4,000 Syrian nationals who have held the status since 2010 and 2011, respectively.
The same day, the Court ruled in Mullin v. Al Otro Lado that non-citizens standing in Mexico have no statutory entitlement to apply for asylum and immigration officers have no obligation to inspect them. This decision effectively allows asylum seekers to be turned away at ports of entry without a formal review of their claims. Justice Alito wrote the majority opinion, joined fully by Chief Justice Roberts and Justices Thomas and Kavanaugh, with partial support from Justices Gorsuch and Barrett.
What Is Temporary Protected Status?
TPS is a legal status that allows foreign nationals from countries experiencing armed conflict, natural disaster, or epidemic disease to live and work in the United States temporarily. It is renewed in 18-month increments and can be extended if conditions in the home country have not improved.
Haitian TPS began after the 2010 earthquake; Syrian TPS began after the civil war in 2011. Before this ruling, TPS terminations could be challenged in federal court on some legal grounds. The Supreme Court's June decision removes that check, allowing the trump administration to end TPS for both groups without federal court review of whether the termination was lawful or violated equal protection rights.
The Refugee Admissions Program
A separate trump administration action targeted the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program. On January 20, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order suspending the program indefinitely and set the refugee ceiling for fiscal year 2026 at 7,500—the lowest in the program's 45-year history, according to the Congressional Research Service.
The Supreme Court has not ruled on this suspension. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals addressed it on March 5, 2026, in Pacito v. Trump, ruling that the President likely had statutory authority to suspend the refugee admissions program, but the administration likely violated law by failing to provide mandatory services to refugees already admitted.
Who Is Affected?
The TPS termination directly affects 354,000 people. Approximately 350,000 are Haitian nationals and 4,000 are Syrian nationals. Many have lived in the United States for over a decade—Haitian TPS holders have been here since 2010—and have built lives, started families, and established work history under the program. They are now at risk of losing legal status.
The refugee admissions suspension affects both new people seeking admission and those already in the resettlement pipeline. The 7,500 ceiling for fiscal year 2026 represents a dramatic reduction from prior years, meaning far fewer refugees will be admitted to the United States.
How Does This Reverse Prior Practice?
The June asylum ruling reverses prior "metering" procedures where thousands of asylum seekers were forced to wait weeks or months in refugee camps across Mexico's border, often subject to cartel exploitation, according to the American Immigration Council. The Supreme Court's decision now permits what was once a temporary emergency measure to become standard policy: asylum seekers in Mexico can be turned away without any obligation to review their claims.
What Happens Next for TPS Holders?
The Supreme Court's June decision clears the legal path for the Trump administration to terminate TPS. The administration will need to formally announce the termination process and any wind-down period. TPS holders who lose their status without securing another legal immigration status become deportable, though deportation is not automatic. They may explore other legal options depending on their individual circumstances, such as applying for asylum if they meet the legal definition of a refugee, or family-based sponsorships if eligible relatives can sponsor them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Supreme Court decision mean TPS ends immediately?
The ruling allows termination, but the administration must formally announce the process. The timeline for actual status loss has not been specified in the Court decision.
What was TPS originally created for?
TPS was created to provide temporary safety for foreign nationals whose home countries are experiencing armed conflict, natural disaster, or epidemic disease that makes return unsafe.
Is the refugee admissions program the same as asylum?
No. The refugee program admits people from outside the United States who are already in refugee camps or processing. Asylum seekers are people who arrive at the U.S. border or inside U.S. territory and request protection. The June Supreme Court ruling affects asylum seekers in Mexico; the refugee program suspension is a separate Trump administration action addressed only by lower courts.