Alito rips race-based claim in high-stakes migrant protections case at SCOTUS

Key Points:

• Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito questioned claims that ending deportation protections for Haitian migrants was racially motivated, noting the policy affected migrants from multiple countries, not just non-White groups.
• The court is hearing a case on the Trump administration's authority to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for tens of thousands of Haitian and Syrian migrants, which could lead to their deportation and impact hundreds of thousands more.
• Migrants' lawyers argue the termination was racially biased and unlawful, citing disparaging remarks by former President Trump, while the Department of Justice contends TPS decisions are executive actions not subject to judicial review.
• Conservative justices appeared sympathetic to the administration's position, whereas liberal justices, including Justice Sonia Sotomayor, raised concerns about potential constitutional violations due to alleged racial discrimination.
• The Supreme Court is expected to issue a final ruling by the end of June, which could have broad implications for TPS holders from multiple countries whose status is currently in limbo.