Setback for TPS holders
On June 7, the Supreme Court ruled in Sanchez v. Mayorkas that those immigrants who entered the U.S. without inspection and were subsequently granted temporary protected status (“TPS”) cannot be granted Green Cards without first leaving the country. Therefore, a majority of the approximate 400,000 TPS holders currently in the U.S. will not be able to obtain green cards, provided they are otherwise eligible, while remaining in the U.S. ("adjustment of status"). They will at a minimum have to return to their home country for an interview at the local U.S. consulate. For many, this means returning to a place they have not seen in 20 years, and running the risk of not being able to come back to the U.S. The ruling is another reminder of the urgency for Congress to pass immigration reform legislation.