Thousands of Syrians benefiting from Temporary Protected Status (TPS) in the United States face a new period of uncertainty over the future of their residency, after the US Supreme Court allowed the administration of US President Donald Trump to end legal protections for migrants fleeing violence and natural disasters.

In this context, US Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin called on migrants residing in the United States under the Temporary Protected Status program to apply for permanent residency if they are eligible, or prepare to leave the country.

The US secretary said, “Either complete the procedures to obtain permanent legal status, or we will help you return to your countries.” Mullin added that the government will provide those wishing to return with a travel ticket, along with financial assistance of about $2,100 to help them resettle in their countries, stressing that the temporary protection program is, by its nature, not a path to permanent residency.

US federal law grants the program to people coming from countries experiencing wars, natural disasters, or exceptional conditions that prevent their safe return, and it had been renewed periodically in previous years. Despite the administration’s move to end temporary protection for some groups, the US State Department continues to warn its citizens against traveling to Syria because of the ongoing risks of violence, crime, terrorism, and kidnappings, according to Reuters.

The United States has granted Temporary Protected Status to Syrians since 2012, following the outbreak of the war in Syria.

Court Ruling Cancels Temporary Protection for Migrants

The US Supreme Court issued a ruling allowing President Donald Trump’s administration to proceed with ending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for hundreds of thousands of Haitian and Syrian migrants, in a step that strengthens the administration’s push to tighten immigration policies.

The ruling was issued by a majority of six votes to three.

The court overturned orders issued by federal courts in New York and Washington that had suspended implementation of the administration’s decision to end temporary protection for about 6,100 migrants from Syria. According to Reuters, the decision could affect about 1.3 million beneficiaries of the temporary protection program, which applies to 17 countries, at a time when the Trump administration has said the program was originally created as a temporary measure, not as a means of permanent residency.

Acting US Attorney General Todd Blanche welcomed the ruling, saying the program was designed to be limited in duration, and that it ends attempts by illegal migrants to use it as a way to remain in the United States. Lower courts had issued rulings against decisions to end temporary protection, finding that administration officials had failed to follow mandatory protocols for assessing conditions in the country concerned before canceling its designation.

By contrast, the administration said it had followed proper procedures, and put forward a broader argument that courts do not have the authority to review or challenge its decisions related to the temporary protection program. Ahilan Arulanantham, the lawyer for the Syrian plaintiffs, criticized the court’s decision, saying it allows the undermining of one of the most important humanitarian measures approved by Congress decades ago to protect people fleeing conflicts and disasters.