Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Democrat from New York, sharply criticized former President Donald Trump, labeling his actions a "betrayal" following the Supreme Court's recent decisions that granted his administration two significant victories regarding immigration policies, specifically Temporary Protected Status and asylum procedures.
On Thursday, the Supreme Court issued a ruling permitting the Trump administration to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for migrants from Haiti and Syria. This decision effectively removed legal protections that had allowed many Haitians to reside and work in the United States since the devastating 2010 earthquake in Haiti, and numerous Syrians since their country's civil war led to a TPS designation in 2012.
"I think it's really sad because these decisions are targeting exactly the kind of people that Republican voters said that they did not want targeted in the Trump administration's immigration policy," Ocasio-Cortez stated.
She contended that this ruling represented "a reversal of President Trump's promise to only go after, quote unquote, criminals and rapists."
"This decision to overturn TPS targets nurses, it targets health care workers, it targets domestic workers, cleaners, people who work in restaurants," she elaborated, describing it as "a real betrayal of President Trump's promise." Ocasio-Cortez further argued that the decision would negatively impact U.S. citizens by potentially increasing prices, complicating labor searches, and disrupting established communities.
Lawmakers Express Strong Disapproval
House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar, a California Democrat, also voiced his disapproval of Trump and Republican policies concerning the asylum ruling. He asserted that the former president has "time and time again" attacked a process that has been fundamental to U.S. law for many decades.
"People are fleeing terrible conditions, and they have a lawful right to declare asylum," Aguilar affirmed.
Administration Defends Court Decisions
Conversely, Abigail Jackson, who served as White House deputy press secretary at the time, defended the administration's stance on Thursday. She emphasized that "Temporary Protected Status was always meant to be temporary."
"It was never meant to be a pathway to permanent status or citizenship...our asylum system, for years, has been abused and exploited by bad actors...this ruling is a step in the right direction towards clearing up our asylum system and making sure that people can't enter our country who shouldn't be here — and that people who are here, who shouldn't be here, should be deported," Jackson explained.
Democratic Legislative Efforts and Haiti's Status
When questioned about the Democratic Party's subsequent actions regarding TPS, Aguilar referenced legislation that he indicated Democrats had advanced through the House via a discharge petition.
"Democrats led legislation in order to bring certainty to that. It's sitting over in the Senate," Aguilar stated. "We forced a discharge petition, and were successful because we believe in governing."
Aguilar's remarks appeared to refer to House-approved legislation designed to extend TPS protections specifically for Haitian migrants. Representative Shomari Figures, a Democrat from Alabama, mentioned he had not yet thoroughly reviewed the full court decisions but expressed that he was "beyond the point of being surprised by almost any decision that comes out of court." Figures advocated for TPS for Haiti, highlighting the country's ongoing challenges, including natural disasters, political instability, and pervasive violence.
"There's not a country that I think TPS is designed at its core that's more deserving of that than the situations we currently see in Haiti," Figures concluded.
