Kathmandu— Two federal judges in Boston and Chicago on Friday rejected last-ditch legal challenges aimed at preserving Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for nationals from South Sudan and Myanmar, clearing the path for the Trump administration to end deportations and work authorizations for thousands of residents.

Judicial Rulings Limit Legal Challenges

The decisions by US District Judge Patti Saris in Boston and Judge Matthew Kennelly in Chicago follow a June Supreme Court ruling that limited the ability of lower courts to block Department of Homeland Security (DHS) efforts to terminate TPS for various countries. The Supreme Court had previously argued that the executive branch maintains broad authority to manage the program.

In the Boston case, Judge Saris rejected arguments that the DHS lacked the authority to terminate the status, noting that such a ruling would also call into question the agency's longstanding authority to extend these protections.

Impact on Thousands of Residents

The termination of these designations would affect approximately 232 South Sudanese nationals and roughly 4,000 people from Myanmar, according to Reuters. TPS is a program that shields individuals from deportation and provides work authorization when their home countries are experiencing armed conflict, natural disasters, or other extraordinary conditions.

Advocates have warned that the rulings leave recipients—who had been operating under an administrative stay during the legal battle—exposed to potential deportation to nations still gripped by instability and conflict.

Administration Stance and Remaining Protections

The DHS moved to end TPS for South Sudan, which has held the designation since 2011 due to ongoing conflict, and Myanmar, which has faced political turmoil since a 2021 military coup.

James Percival, General Counsel of DHS, stated that the new rulings leave only the TPS terminations for Ethiopian and Somalian nationals currently blocked by the courts. "Every day these 'administrative stays' are in effect is a day the American people are denied what they voted for," Percival wrote on X.

The rulings leave only the TPS terminations for Ethiopian and Somalian nationals currently blocked by the courts.

(With inputs from Al Jazeera)

Originally published on abcnews.com.np.