Homeland Security Chief Urges TPS Holders to Seek Permanent Status or Prepare for Deportation

Migrants in the US on temporary protected status (TPS) should pursue permanent residency or depart the country, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said following last week’s Supreme Court decision that eliminated humanitarian protections for hundreds of thousands of immigrants.

Mullin’s remarks came during an appearance on CNN’s State of the Union, coinciding with a ruling that would permit the Trump administration to deport Haitian and Syrian immigrants to nations experiencing severe conflict and destitution.

“Either complete the necessary paperwork and remain here under permanent status, or we’ll assist you in returning to your country,” Mullin stated. “We’ll even provide a plane ticket and approximately $2,100 to help re-establish yourself upon arrival, since temporary protective status is not—and by its name itself—permanent status.”

Federal law enables the administration to grant temporary residency to individuals fleeing war, disaster, or other dangerous conditions.

The status had been repeatedly renewed, and while these protections are now ending, the State Department still advises against travel to Haiti or Syria due to ongoing violence, criminal activity, terrorism, and kidnappings.

The US initially granted TPS to Haitians after the 2010 earthquake and to Syrians following the onset of their civil war in 2012.

Thursday’s Supreme Court decision affects roughly 350,000 Haitian and 6,000 Syrian immigrants who now face Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention or deportation as their protections expire.

Haitian TPS recipients and advocacy groups have strongly condemned the ruling, warning it will disrupt thousands of families who have lived and worked in the US for decades.

Haitian residents in Springfield, Ohio, have expressed despair about anticipated consequences. During the 2024 election, Trump falsely accused Haitians in the city of eating pets—a claim that sparked bomb threats and white supremacist marches.

The Supreme Court’s conservative majority determined that Haitians challenging the administration were unlikely to succeed in arguing the policy was racially motivated.

“For Springfield, it’s going to hurt. When I first arrived, this area was dead. Now there are 17,826 Haitian businesses right here in this plaza,” said Franky Pierre, a Haitian immigrant who fled to the US during the 1991 military coup attempting to overthrow President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. “All these people will have to flee—or else they’ll start leaving tonight.”

Republican officials have also criticized the Supreme Court’s decision. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine called it a “mistake,” noting: “The situation in Haiti couldn’t be much worse. Violent gangs control most of the country. The government barely functions. The economy is in ruins.”

Other Republican lawmakers, including New York’s Mike Lawler and Nebraska’s Don Bacon, have opposed the ruling and advocated for Haitian TPS extensions.

In total, 1.7 million people from 17 countries currently hold TPS. Immigration advocates fear the Trump administration may target TPS for other immigrant groups, potentially ending the program established in 1990.

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