Entering the country illegally is grounds for denial.
In a decision that could affect thousands of migrants, the Supreme Court on Monday refused to let immigrants who have been allowed to remain in the U.S. on humanitarian grounds to apply to become permanent residents if they entered the country illegally.
The justices were acting on an appeal by a married couple from El Salvador who were granted Temporary Protected Status (TPS), ruled that they cannot be given permanent residency, also known as a green card, because they entered the country unlawfully.
A federal law called the Immigration and Nationality Act generally requires that people seeking to become permanent residents have been “inspected and admitted” into the United States. At issue in the case was whether a grant of Temporary Protected Status (TPS), which gives the recipient “lawful status,” satisfies those requirements.
Writing for the Court, Justice Elena Kagan said that “because a grant of TPS does not come with a ticket of admission, it does not eliminate the disqualifying effect of an unlawful entry.”
The TPS designation has been given to over 400,000 immigrants from certain countries where conditions prevent immigrants in the U.S. from a safe return. Currently, TPS status can be awarded to immigrants from Haiti, El Salvador, Syria, Nepal, Honduras, Yemen, Somalia, Sudan, Nicaragua, Myanmar, South Sudan and Venezuela.
For a non-citizen to work legally in the U.S., a green card is required.
The ruling came down on the same day that Vice President Harris visits Guatemala as part of looking at solving the “root causes” for the increased migration of Guatemalans and other Central Americans to the U.S.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For the Supreme Court as they interpret U.S. law and issue rulings.
- For Congress as immigration reforms continue to be evaluated.
- For hundreds of thousands of immigrants whose work and livelihoods in the U.S. may come into question.
Sources: Reuters, Christian Post
