Alabama State Rep. Ben Robbins (R-Sylacauga) recently applauded the Thursday ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) allowing President Donald Trump's administration to remove certain persons from Haiti and Syria.
The Court's 6-3 decision on Thursday in Mullin v. Doe, which was consolidated with several related cases, allows the Trump administration to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for approximately 350,000 Haitian nationals and about 6,000 Syrian nationals.
Then-Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem terminated Haiti's TPS designation in November 2025, citing some improvements in the country while acknowledging persistent problems. It also referenced broader national interests, including visa overstays and certain criminal records among entrants. Syria's TPS termination followed the overthrow of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad, claiming improved conditions.
Alabama was in headlines in 2024 after it came to light that areas in the state were playing host to significant numbers of Haitian migrants, many of whom were likely here due to the country's TPS designation, as well as the Biden administration's Cuban, Haitian, Nicaraguan, and Venezuelan (CHNV) Parole Program.
SEE: 'This is our city!' Sylacauga citizens shut down for questioning influx of Haitian migrants
Robbins, whose home city of Sylacauga was a significant focus at the time, applauded the SCOTUS decision as a way of correcting the issues created by the previous president.
"The Court made the right decision. Elected officials and not deep state bureaucrats should be making decisions on immigration and government policy," Robbins told 1819 News. "The Trump administration is still working to undo the immigration crisis that the Biden administration created."
Among other things, the plaintiffs in the Mullin case argued that race played a role in DHS's decision, citing previous statements by Trump and claiming these statements demonstrated a violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution.
SCOTUS rejected the argumentation, stating that the administration demonstrated a consistent policy of terminating TPS designations across multiple countries.
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