US Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin stated on Sunday that migrants residing in the United States under Temporary Protected Status (TPS) should either apply for permanent residence or return to their home countries. In an interview on CNN's "State of the Union," Mullin emphasized that TPS is not a permanent status and urged holders to seek lawful permanent residency or accept assistance to depart voluntarily.
Supreme Court Ruling Sparks Policy Shift
Mullin's remarks come after a split Supreme Court decision last week that allowed President Donald Trump's administration to strip hundreds of thousands of Haitian and Syrian immigrants of their TPS. The humanitarian status had protected them from deportation to countries plagued by conflict and destitution. The ruling effectively ended the long-standing practice of successive renewals of TPS for these nationals.
"Either try to fill out the paperwork and be here underneath a permanent status or we'll help you get back to your country," Mullin told CNN. "We'll actually give you a plane ticket, plus roughly $2,100 to help you re-establish when you get there, but temporary protective status, according to the courts and in its name itself, is not permanent status."
Legal Framework and Current Conditions
Federal law permits the administration to grant temporary legal residency to individuals fleeing war, disaster, or other adverse conditions. The US government first granted TPS to Haitians after a devastating earthquake in 2010, and to Syrians following the onset of civil war in 2012. Despite the move to end these protections, the State Department currently warns against travel to both Haiti and Syria, citing widespread violence, crime, terrorism, and kidnapping.
Opposition to Mass Deportations
The prospect of large-scale deportations faces opposition, even among some Republicans. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, also speaking on CNN on Sunday, argued that it is not safe for Haitians to return to their homeland. He warned that removing diligent TPS workers would harm Ohio's economy and exacerbate staffing shortages in the healthcare industry. DeWine's comments highlight the tension between federal immigration enforcement and local economic interests.
