Supreme Court clears way for deportations of Haitians and Syrians, limits on access to asylum for those seeking safety

New York, NY, June 26, 2026 - Decisions issued by the U.S. Supreme Court yesterday will severely limit protections for people seeking safety in the United States. The first ruling cleared the way for the deportation of hundreds of thousands of Haitian and Syrian nationals who have been living in the United States under Temporary Protected Status (TPS). In a separate decision, the Court issued a ruling limiting the ability of those seeking safety to access the asylum process in the United States.

"The Supreme Court's rulings are devastating for people seeking safety," said Hans van de Weerd, IRC Vice President of Resettlement, Asylum and Integration. "Ending Temporary Protected Status puts vulnerable individuals at risk of deportation to dangerous conditions and deprives American communities of the family members, neighbors, workers, and caregivers they rely on. TPS holders strengthen the U.S. economy, having contributed an estimated $262 billion since 2001, including $20 billion to Social Security-support that millions of aging Americans depend on.

"At the same time, denying access to asylum procedures to those fleeing persecution may force people onto more dangerous routes and into the exploitative hands of smugglers and criminal groups as they search for safety. As conflicts and humanitarian crises deepen around the world, countries should be extending protections, not ending them."

Editor's Note:

Haiti, for the second year in a row, is in the top 10 of the IRC's Emergency Watchlist, an annual report of the world's worsening humanitarian crises.

• Gang violence, insecurity, and grave protection risks are driving the crisis to a boiling point. More than 6 million people are in urgent humanitarian need and over half the population is facing crisis levels of hunger.
• More than 270,000 people were forcibly returned to Haiti in 2025, with current trends signaling continued returns in the year ahead. Many repatriated Haitians arrive with nowhere to go-nearly 20% were already internally displaced before leaving the country and others remain cut off from loved ones due to expanding gang control. With minimal funding for reintegration, returnees are prime targets for harm, exploitation, and even murder by gangs.
• The IRC's mid-year update has documented that there has been a 120% increase in fatalities from drone attacks and airstrikes in the first quarter of 2026, compared to the last quarter of 2025.

Syria also appears on IRC's Emergency Watchlist,

• Syria remains one of the largest and most protracted displacement crises globally, with around 11 million Syrians forcibly displaced, including approximately 4 million refugees hosted in neighbouring countries.
• An estimated 15.6 million people require humanitarian assistance in 2026, while around 1.2 million people continue to live in camps and camp-like settings, reflecting the scale of ongoing vulnerability. This includes nearly 7.5 million children requiring humanitarian assistance, many facing disrupted education, heightened protection risks, and limited access to essential services.