The United States Supreme Court has allowed the federal government to continue with plans to remove legal protection for over 500,000 migrants. These individuals, mostly from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela, entered the country legally through a special program created by the Biden administration in 2022.
The decision came on Friday and temporarily overturned a lower court ruling from Boston that had blocked the government’s efforts to cancel the migrants’ status. With the block now lifted, deportations can move forward while the case is still being reviewed in court.
The program that allowed these migrants to enter is called CHNV. It was launched in October 2022 to give people from troubled countries a safe and legal way to come to the United States. It allowed up to 30,000 people each month to enter and stay for two years. They had to pass background checks and find a sponsor inside the country before they were allowed in.
In March 2025, the Department of Homeland Security announced it would cancel these two-year permits. Officials said the conditions in the home countries of the migrants had changed. As a result, the government no longer believed special protection was needed. That decision was challenged in court, and a federal judge in Boston stopped the policy from taking effect. The Supreme Court has now reversed that decision.
The court gave no detailed explanation for its ruling. However, two justices disagreed strongly, warning that hundreds of thousands of lives could be affected. They raised concerns that people might be sent back before getting a final review of their legal status.
The CHNV program was part of a broader immigration plan by President Biden to reduce illegal border crossings. It offered a legal way for people in crisis to find safety in the United States. Now, the sudden change in policy could leave many migrants at risk of being deported quickly.
This court decision comes during a heated political season. Immigration has become a major issue ahead of the 2024 U.S. presidential election. Former President Donald Trump and other Republican leaders are pushing for tighter border control and more deportations. They argue that stronger laws are needed to protect the country. The court’s ruling now supports these efforts by allowing deportations to continue even before the legal battle is finished.
For the migrants affected, this means new fears and hard choices. Many of them have lived in the U.S. for over a year. They have jobs, homes, and children in school. Losing protected status could tear families apart and send people back to places still facing poverty or violence.
U.S. immigration officials report that more than 500,000 people have entered under the CHNV process since it started. This includes about 120,000 from Cuba, 150,000 from Haiti, 90,000 from Nicaragua, and nearly 150,000 from Venezuela. These people followed the rules set by the government and now face the risk of losing everything they have built in the U.S.
The Supreme Court’s ruling is not the final word on this issue. The full legal case is still active, and future decisions could change the outcome. But for now, the path is clear for removals to begin. Many families are left waiting, unsure of what will happen next.
