Democrats vow resistance after Supreme Court Temporary Protected Status ruling

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Trump administration in two key immigration cases on Thursday, drawing strong opposition from blue-state Democrats and prompting a leading House Republican to defect over concerns about a looming health “crisis.”

The Supreme Court, Mullin v. In a 6-3 decision in the Doe case, it ruled that citizens of Haiti and Syria with Temporary Protected Status (TPS) cannot petition federal courts to delay the revocation of their legal status while challenging the Trump administration’s policies.

In a separate decision, the court also ruled that immigrants who are turned back at the southern border before entering the United States do not have the right to apply for asylum.

Democratic leaders in New York and Massachusetts immediately held press conferences to condemn the Supreme Court’s decisions and vow local resistance.

SUPREME COURT GIVES TRUMP TWO MAJOR IMMIGRATION VICTORIES

In New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the state would step back by designating “sensitive locations” to thwart ICE officers and banning masks for immigration enforcement officers.

“This is New York. We are fighting back. We are defending our people,” Hochul said. “For those who think they can come here and tell us this is going to be a different path, you have to reach out to us first.”

New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams offered some of the harshest rhetoric, accusing the Trump administration of operating through a “White supremacist lens.”

“This is just another day in Trump’s America, with someone in the White House who believes in fascist rules from a white supremacist perspective,” Williams said. “He does this because his policies are based on treating people as if they are not people, especially if they are Black and Brown.”

TRUMP’S ENEMIES SAID SCOTUS WAS GIVING US ‘RACIST TERROR’ WITH ICE CRESCENT DECISION

New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams speaks at a news conference and rally at union headquarters in Manhattan. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

In her dissenting opinion of the ruling, Supreme Court Justice Elena argued there was evidence that the Trump administration was motivated by “racial animus” in revoking TPS for Haitians, citing statements Trump made ahead of the 2024 election, including claims that Haitians were “eating pets in Ohio.”

However, Justice Samuel Alito, who wrote both majority opinions for the Supreme Court’s rulings, noted that the defendants themselves suggested that the administration might oppose TPS as a matter of general policy rather than targeting a specific group.

Meanwhile, New York Attorney General Letitia James called the decision a “betrayal of who we are supposed to be as a nation,” and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced the activation of a toll-free municipal legal hotline to help affected immigrants.

“The people of New York City will stand with you as we face a Supreme Court decision that opens the door to instability and fear of deportation for many,” said Mamdani, whose wife is Syrian American. “… We do not allow those who are afraid of what makes this city great to try to divide us. We reject the politics of fear.”

FEDERAL JUDGE STOPS TRUMP’S TPS POLICY, ACCUSES DHS OF TAKING IMMIGRANTS ‘THE ANSWER TO THEIR RACE’

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani speaks at a news conference in Manhattan on Thursday. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

In Massachusetts, home to nearly 45,000 TPS holders, Gov. Maura Healey harshly criticized the decision, arguing that it “makes no sense for our families, our economy, our communities and our societies.” [or] our country.”

A visibly emotional Boston Mayor Michelle Wu addressed the immigrants directly, telling them, “You belong here.”

The decision also revealed a rift within the GOP, as Rep. Mike Lawler, R-Y., strongly criticized the move to end TPS for Haitians.

While Lawler said he did not dispute the president’s legal authority to end TPS, he warned that doing so now could trigger a disaster for the U.S. health care system, which relies heavily on Haitian workers.

“Of the 350,000+ legal Haitian TPS holders, roughly 1/3 work in our healthcare system,” Lawler wrote in an X post. “Immediate closure of TPS would create a crisis in our hospitals, nursing homes, and I/DD community.”

Lawler also pointed to widespread gang violence in Haiti, citing the State Department’s Level 4 travel advisory as evidence that the situation “requires an extension” of protections.

DHS RESPONDED TO ‘ACTIVIST JUDGES’ WHO PREVENTED THE RESOLUTION OF THE TEMPORARY PROTECTION SITUATION

FILE – Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey also reversed the Supreme Court’s decision by hosting a press conference on Thursday. (David L. Ryan/Boston Globe via Getty Images)

He called on the administration to follow an “orderly process” over the next six months for Haitian TPS holders to maintain their work permits and called on the Senate to consider legislation to temporarily extend their status.

Following the decision, the White House and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) celebrated the rulings as a victory for the rule of law.

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“This decision is a tremendous win for the Trump administration,” White House press secretary Abigail Jackson told Fox News Digital. “Today, the Supreme Court affirmed what President Trump has always argued: Temporary protected status is, by definition, temporary. It was never intended as a path to permanent status or legal residence.”

Similarly, DHS General Counsel James Percival posted on

“This is a win for the rule of law and common sense,” Percival said.