Millions Face Deportation as U.S. Ends Temporary Protected Status for Key Nations

In June 2026, the Supreme Court ruled in Mullin v. Doe that courts lack authority to review most challenges to the termination of Temporary Protected Status, a protection created by the 1990 Immigration Act. The decision came after lower courts blocked the Trump administration’s moves to end TPS for Syria and Haiti, moves that were part of a broader effort that began in 2025 and has already affected 13 of 17 designated countries.

With the ruling, up to 300,000 TPS holders from nations such as Afghanistan, Haiti, Syria, El Salvador, Sudan, Ukraine and Lebanon face loss of work permits and possible deportation, despite many having lived in the U.S. for decades. The law scholar author notes that most TPS recipients have no path to permanent residency and few legal options remain, as they are often barred from asylum, family or employment visas. Critics, including Justice Elena Kagan in dissent, warn that the decision could send vulnerable people back to war zones the status was meant to protect them from. The ruling underscores the precarious, temporary nature of TPS and the limited congressional action to convert it into a permanent solution.