US courts blocked move to cancel program giving temporary status to migrants fleeing crises in home countries
President Donald Trump's administration has asked the US Supreme Court to allow it to cancel temporary protections of immigrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela, according to a report Thursday.
A report by USA Today said the emergency request is part of Trump's push to increase deportations, even for those previously granted legal status due to crises in their home countries.
The Biden-era program gave two-year legal stays to migrants fleeing violence, poverty or political instability. But Trump officials previously argued that it failed to deter illegal migration and made law enforcement harder.
A federal judge in the state of Massachusetts blocked the cancellation, and said it was based on legal error and should be decided on a case-by-case basis. An appeals court upheld that ruling.
The latest move by the administration wants the top court to overturn those decisions, arguing that the courts are interfering with policies backed by voters, according to USA Today.
The court has asked migrant lawyers to respond by May 15.
