A significant immigration policy change occurred Wednesday, marking a win for former President Donald Trump. A federal judge recognized that a previous court order, which prevented the Trump administration from ending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for thousands of Haitians, is no longer in effect. This change follows a Supreme Court ruling in Mullin v. Doe.

This decision concludes a lengthy legal battle over TPS, which had been expanded under the Biden administration to cover more Haitians. Trump, who had campaigned against this expansion, now sees a major victory as TPS for Haitians ends.

The issue gained prominence in the 2024 election race when Trump, along with his running mate JD Vance, criticized Biden’s TPS policies. They argued these policies led to an increased number of Haitian migrants in places like Springfield, Ohio. Residents there voiced concerns over local issues such as traffic and public service pressure.

U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes clarified that her earlier order, which paused the termination of Haiti’s TPS designation, is void following the Supreme Court’s judgment.

While the lawsuit continues, the administration is now free to end TPS for approximately 330,000 to 350,000 Haitians in the U.S. The ongoing legal debate focuses on accusations of racial discrimination in terminating TPS.

The Supreme Court’s June ruling declared that the TPS statute prevents judicial review of non-constitutional decisions to terminate TPS. The court found little likelihood of success for the plaintiffs’ challenges based on equal protection.

DHS General Counsel James Percival clarified that the TPS effectively expired with the Supreme Court’s mandate on July 27, with Judge Reyes’ recent order merely acknowledging this status.

Haiti originally received TPS after the 2010 earthquake. This designation continued across multiple U.S. administrations for 16 years but was later expanded under Biden. After a review, former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem announced the decision to end TPS, stating the program had outstayed its initial temporary intent.

Following the Supreme Court’s decision, DHS noted that Haiti’s TPS designation officially ended, effective July 27, and affected employment authorization documents became invalid. Employers were advised to reverify work authorizations for impacted employees.

The State Department advises against travel to Haiti due to high levels of violence and unrest.