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

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin has instructed migrants holding Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to either pursue permanent residency or depart the United States. This directive comes in the wake of a Supreme Court ruling that rescinded humanitarian protections for hundreds of thousands of immigrants.

Mullin stated in an interview that individuals should "fill out the paperwork and be here underneath a permanent status or we’ll help you get back to your country." He further explained that the government would provide a plane ticket and approximately $2,100 to aid in re-establishing themselves upon return, emphasizing that TPS is not a permanent legal status.

Federal law permits the granting of temporary legal residency to individuals fleeing war, natural disasters, or other severe conditions. TPS has been periodically renewed, yet the State Department currently advises against travel to Haiti and Syria due to widespread violence, crime, and instability. The U.S. initially granted TPS to Haitians after the 2010 earthquake and to Syrians following their country's civil war in 2012.

The recent Supreme Court decision is expected to impact an estimated 350,000 Haitians and 6,000 Syrians, potentially leading to detention or deportation as their protections expire. Haitian TPS holders and advocacy groups have strongly condemned the ruling, warning of severe disruption to the lives of thousands who have resided and worked in the U.S. for decades. Some residents in Springfield, Ohio, have expressed despair, noting the negative economic impact and the rise in hate incidents following false accusations against Haitians during the 2024 election. The Supreme Court's conservative majority, however, found that arguments of racial bias against the administration were unlikely to succeed.

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Either try to fill ‌out the paperwork and ‌be here underneath a permanent status or we’ll help you get ‌back to your country. 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.