The Supreme Court handed President Trump two major immigration victories on June 25, handing down 6-3 rulings that expand his power to restrict asylum seekers and end deportation protections for hundreds of thousands of immigrants. The New York Times reported that the conservative majority cleared the way for the Trump administration to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians and Syrians, and to revive a restrictive asylum policy at the southern border.
In the first ruling, the court sided with the Trump administration in Mullin v. Doe, allowing it to end TPS designations for nationals from Haiti and Syria. According to reporting, the decision puts approximately 350,000 Haitians and 6,000 Syrians at risk of losing work permits and deportation protections. The Department of Homeland Security stated that the ruling clears the way for the administration to begin deporting TPS holders who had been permitted to live and work legally in the United States.
The second decision, Mullin v. Al Otro Lado, permits the Trump administration to revive an asylum “metering” policy that systematically limits the number of people who can apply for asylum at ports of entry along the U.S.-Mexico border. The ruling allows federal agents to turn away asylum seekers before they can physically set foot on U.S. soil or request protection. This policy had been ended by the Biden administration but the Supreme Court cleared the way for its resurrection, overturning lower court orders that had blocked the practice.
Both rulings were decided along ideological lines, with the court’s six conservative justices voting together against the three liberal justices. The New York Times noted that the decisions mark significant expansions of presidential authority over immigration matters. Legal experts described the rulings as “seismic” changes to immigration law, fundamentally altering the legal landscape for asylum seekers and immigrants with temporary protections.
The TPS program, which has protected immigrants from designated countries since 1990, now faces potential dismantling for two of its largest beneficiary groups. Congressional Research Service data cited in reporting showed that TPS protected nearly 1.3 million people across 17 countries as of March 2026. The asylum metering policy, which had been a controversial Trump-era practice, now stands ready to be reinstated under the court’s blessing.
Sources
- The New York Times — reported the Supreme Court’s 6-3 rulings on TPS and asylum, and noted the expansion of Trump’s immigration powers
- Reuters — confirmed the 6-3 decision allowing Trump to end deportation protections for Haitians and Syrians
- American Immigration Council — described the rulings as “seismic” immigration law decisions and provided details on affected populations
- Department of Homeland Security — issued statement on the Supreme Court wins and the ability to end TPS designations
- NBC News — reported on the 6-3 vote allowing Trump to remove protections from Haitian and Syrian immigrants
- Washington Post — confirmed the 6-3 decision allowing the Trump administration to resume turning back asylum seekers at the border
- NPR — reported that the 6-3 ruling allows the government to stop asylum seekers from physically entering the country
