The U.S. Supreme Court has cleared the way for the Trump administration to end a deportation protection policy affecting thousands of Venezuelans residing in the United States.

The ruling allows the government under Trump to rescind Temporary Protected Status for approximately 350,000 Venezuelans, potentially placing them in line for removal from the country, as Newsmax reports.

Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, is a federal designation that permits foreign nationals to live and work legally in the U.S. if their home country faces severe disruptions such as war or natural disaster. In the case of Venezuela, TPS was granted due to instability and unsafe conditions in the country. Many recipients have relied on this status to avoid returning to dangerous situations back home.

Supreme Court overturns lower court ruling

On Monday, the justices permitted the Trump administration to terminate these protections. This decision reverses a previous ruling by a lower federal court which had temporarily blocked the administration’s efforts to strip TPS rights from Venezuelans.

The earlier decision came from a judge in San Francisco who had ruled to maintain TPS protections beyond their scheduled expiration. Without that San Francisco court order, the protections would have ended one month prior.

By overruling that decision, the Supreme Court effectively endorsed the administration’s authority to remove TPS coverage, leaving recipients vulnerable to deportation proceedings.

Brief order with single dissent

The Supreme Court’s order was brief, with just one justice recording a dissent. The specific reasons for the dissent were not published in the court's announcement.

The court did not issue a fully detailed opinion, which is common in cases that are resolved through emergency requests or other expedited legal mechanisms. Despite the lack of commentary, the practical outcome remains major: the legal protections shielding more than 300,000 individuals will end.

With the protections lifted, TPS holders from Venezuela may be faced with a difficult choice -- either return to a country still plagued by political and economic instability or remain in the U.S. without legal status.

What is TPS?

Temporary Protected Status is not a path to citizenship, but it offers a series of legal safeguards. Recipients can obtain work permits and avoid deportation as long as the status is active. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security typically determines which countries qualify for TPS designations based on prevailing conditions.

Venezuela had received TPS designation due to years of civil turmoil and humanitarian concerns. Observers had argued that ending the protections now would force many back into a dangerous environment.

Though TPS recipients’ status is always considered temporary, revocations of protections have proved controversial, especially in cases involving countries that remain highly unstable.

Decision aligns with past immigration policy moves

The Trump administration has made a number of prior efforts to limit TPS designations. This Supreme Court decision is consistent with the administration's approach to immigration policy, which has prioritized stricter enforcement.

While this latest ruling involves Venezuelans, earlier efforts by the administration targeted TPS holders from El Salvador, Haiti and other countries. Many of those efforts have been challenged in court and are still under review.

TPS recipients often develop long-term roots in the United States, with some living in the country for decades. The shift in legal protections, critics of the ruling suggest, could upend the lives of thousands who have built families, careers and communities under the shelter of TPS.

Potential implications yet to unfold

It remains unclear precisely how federal immigration agencies will respond to this new legal landscape. Although the Supreme Court's decision clears legal objections, deportations are at the discretion of enforcement agencies.

Legal experts say the decision may also have broader implications for future TPS rulings, potentially granting more discretion to presidential administrations in immigration matters.

Future lawsuits or legislative actions could again alter the conditions for Venezuelan nationals staying in the U.S.