The decision, backed by seven justices, temporarily overturns a ruling that had prevented the annulment of the “humanitarian parole” granted by Biden to citizens of Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua, and Haiti. Photography: Archive
Guacamaya, May 30, 2025. The U.S. Supreme Court has issued a decision affecting many immigrants in the country. Recently, it endorsed a plan to eliminate the humanitarian protection program that benefited over 500,000 people from Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua, and Haiti. This decision was approved by seven of the Court’s justices and temporarily lifts a prior ruling that had upheld the protections established by the Biden administration.
The Court ruled in response to an urgent request from the Department of Homeland Security. With this new measure, the government can suspend an order by a federal judge in Massachusetts that had blocked the termination of what is known as “humanitarian parole.” That judge argued it was improper for the government to revoke such protections en masse without reviewing each individual case.
The program under review allowed those meeting certain humanitarian criteria to live and work legally in the United States temporarily. Though the Supreme Court’s decision does not resolve the underlying issue, it permits the government to proceed with suspending the program while litigation continues. This means many immigrant families who relied on this protection for legal status now face severe uncertainty.
The two dissenting voices among the justices were Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson. Jackson, in particular, strongly urged the Court to consider the human impact of this decision, calling its action a “botch.”
Meanwhile, those benefiting from the parole program must await further judicial rulings. Civil society organizations and immigrant rights advocates are working intensively to prepare legal strategies to halt the implementation of this measure. The fight is not over, and the future for many remains uncertain.
