US homeland security secretary tells migrants to seek permanent status or leave

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said migrants covered by Temporary Protected Status should seek another lawful way to stay in the United States or leave the country, after the Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration to move ahead with ending protections for Haitians and Syrians.

The comments, reported on June 28, marked the administration’s clearest response so far to a ruling that removed a legal obstacle to ending TPS for two large groups of long-time residents. The decision has immediate consequences for families, workers and communities that have depended on the program for years.

TPS is a temporary humanitarian protection, not a permanent path to residence. It has allowed people from countries hit by war or disaster to live and work legally in the U.S. for limited periods when conditions at home are considered unsafe.

The ruling and the policy shift

The Supreme Court ruling allowed the administration to end TPS protections for Haitians and Syrians, according to the reporting reviewed. That has opened the door for the government to begin winding down the status for people who have remained in the United States under repeated renewals.

The affected population is large. The reporting reviewed says the move could affect roughly 350,000 Haitians and about 6,000 Syrians. Haitians were first protected after the 2010 earthquake, while Syrians were granted TPS after the civil war began in 2012.

Mullin’s message was blunt: people who can qualify for permanent status should pursue it, and those who cannot should prepare to leave. The reporting also says the government would help some people return, including financial assistance and plane tickets.

Humanitarian stakes

The ruling lands against a backdrop of continuing instability in both countries. The State Department still advises against travel to Haiti and Syria because of violence and insecurity, underscoring why advocates say TPS remains necessary for many families.

For the people affected, the shift could mean losing legal work authorization and facing uncertainty about where to live, whether they can continue working, and whether family members will remain together. Many TPS holders have spent years, and in some cases decades, building lives in the United States.

Immigration advocates have criticized the administration’s position, arguing that ending the protections could expose people to danger if they are forced to return to unstable conditions. The reporting also notes criticism from some Republicans, including Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, who objected to ending the protections.

What happens next

The biggest practical question is timing. It remains unclear when the Department of Homeland Security will issue individualized notices, spell out departure deadlines, or explain what return options will be available to affected people.

Another open issue is whether lower-court litigation or emergency motions could slow implementation. The Supreme Court decision removed one barrier, but it did not resolve every possible procedural fight over how and when the government can carry out the change.

The broader policy significance is also clear. Ending TPS for Haitians and Syrians fits a wider Trump administration effort to narrow temporary immigration protections and push more people out of programs that have functioned as long-term buffers for countries facing crisis.

For now, the administration’s message is that TPS is temporary and that permanent status is the only durable way to remain in the country. For many of the people affected, the choice may be far narrower: find another legal basis to stay, or prepare to leave.