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The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Trump administration in two key immigration cases on Thursday, drawing strong opposition from blue state Democrats and prompting a prominent House Republican to break ranks over concerns of a looming healthcare “crisis.”
In a 6-3 decision in Mullin v. Doe, the high court ruled that Haitian and Syrian nationals with Temporary Protected Status (TPS) cannot turn to federal courts to postpone the revocation of their legal status while challenging the Trump administration’s policies.
In a separate ruling, the court also held that migrants turned away at the southern border before entering the U.S. are not entitled to apply for asylum.
Democrat leaders in New York and Massachusetts immediately held news conferences to denounce the Supreme Court’s decisions and pledge local resistance.
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In New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the state would push back by designating “sensitive locations” to block ICE agents and banning masks for immigration enforcers.
“This is New York. We fight back. We defend our people,” Hochul said. “For those who think they can come here and just tell us that that’s going to be the different way that it is, you got to get to us first.”
New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams delivered some of the harshest rhetoric, accusing the Trump administration of operating with a “White supremacist lens.”
“This is another day in Trump’s America where we have someone in the White House who believes in fascist rules with a White supremacist lens,” Williams said. “He is doing that because his policies are based on treating people like they are not human beings, particularly if they’re Black and Brown.”
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In her dissenting opinion on the ruling, Supreme Court Justice Elena argued there is evidence the Trump administration was motivated by “racial animus” when revoking Haitians’ TPS, citing statements Trump made during the lead-up to the 2024 election, including claims that Haitians were “eating pets in Ohio.”
However, Justice Samuel Alito, who authored both majority opinions for the Supreme Court’s decisions, noted the respondents themselves suggested the administration might simply oppose TPS as a general policy matter rather than targeting a specific group.
Meanwhile, New York Attorney General Letitia James called the ruling a “betrayal of who we are supposed to be as a nation,” and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced the activation of a free municipal legal hotline to help affected immigrants.
“The people of New York City are going to show up for you as we face down a Supreme Court ruling that just opened the door to fear instability and the threat of deportation for so many,” said Mamdani, whose wife is Syrian-American. “… We don’t let those who are afraid of what makes this city great try to divide us. We reject the politics of fear.”
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In Massachusetts, which hosts roughly 45,000 TPS holders, Gov. Maura Healey slammed the decision, arguing it “makes no sense for our families, our economy, our communities, [or] our country.”
A visibly emotional Boston Mayor Michelle Wu addressed migrants directly, telling them, “You belong here.”
The ruling also exposed a rift within the GOP, as Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., strongly criticized the move to end TPS for Haitians.
While Lawler noted he does not dispute the president’s legal authority to end TPS, he warned that doing so now could trigger a disaster for the U.S. healthcare system, which heavily relies on Haitian workers.
“Of the 350,000+ lawful Haitian TPS holders, roughly 1/3rd work in our healthcare system,” Lawler wrote in an X post. “Immediately shutting off TPS will create a crisis in our hospitals, nursing homes, and in the I/DD community.”
Lawler also pointed to the rampant gang violence in Haiti, citing the State Department’s Level 4 travel advisory, as proof that the situation “continues to warrant an extension” of protections.
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He urged the administration to allow an “orderly process” over the next six months for Haitian TPS holders to maintain their work authorizations and called on the Senate to take up his legislation to temporarily extend their status.
Following the decision, the White House and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) celebrated the rulings as a win for the rule of law.
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“This ruling is a tremendous win for the Trump administration,” White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told Fox News Digital. “Today, the Supreme Court affirmed what President Trump has always maintained: temporary protected status is, by definition, temporary. It was never intended to be a pathway to permanent status or legal residency.”
Similarly, DHS General Counsel James Percival posted on X that “the T in TPS stands for TEMPORARY, yet many of these designations became de facto amnesty.”
“This is a win for the rule of law and common sense,” Percival said.