Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have been instructed to focus on detaining Haitian nationals whose Temporary Protected Status is expiring. Roughly 300,000 migrants are scheduled to lose the protections on Monday. The move follows a Supreme Court ruling last month that upheld the termination of the program.
The agency views the arrests as a priority, according to an ICE source. Officials plan to target communities in Ohio, including Springfield, where about 20,000 Haitian migrants settled in recent years.
The Supreme Court rejected claims that the decision to end TPS for Haitians was motivated by race. Justice Samuel Alito noted in the majority opinion that the administration has opposed the program across multiple designations.
The Department of Homeland Security described TPS as a de facto amnesty program. It urged those affected to consider self-deportation and offered financial assistance for return travel.
Many migrants will still appear before immigration judges before any removal orders are issued.
