Supreme Court backs Trump on asylum policy, TPS deportations

The U.S. Supreme Court handed the Trump administration two major victories on immigration Thursday.

(NBC)- The U.S. Supreme Court handed the Trump administration two major victories on immigration Thursday, allowing stricter asylum enforcement and clearing the way for the removal of temporary protected status from hundreds of thousands of migrants.

In a 6-3 ruling, the court found the administration can end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for roughly 300,000 Haitians and 6,000 Syrian refugees. The decision means many people who have legally lived and worked in the United States for years after fleeing war or natural disasters could now face deportation.

The court’s conservative majority ruled that lower courts exceeded their authority by blocking the Department of Homeland Security’s decision and rejected claims that ending protections for Haitians was discriminatory.

In a separate 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court ruled that migrants who present themselves for asylum while still in Mexico are not entitled to seek asylum because they have not yet entered the United States.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor dissented, arguing the ruling could encourage more dangerous illegal border crossings. Justice Samuel Alito, writing for the majority, said the decision reflects a straightforward reading of federal law.

The rulings come as advocacy groups representing DACA recipients, also known as Dreamers, have filed a new lawsuit accusing the Trump administration of delaying renewals that allow recipients to legally work and study in the United States. The Department of Homeland Security said DACA recipients are not automatically protected from deportation.