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Home · Blog · Mullin v. Doe Beyond Haiti and Syria
Published August 8, 2026 · 5 min read · TPS — Law & Policy

What Mullin v. Doe Means If You're Not From Haiti or Syria

Headlines focused on Haiti and Syria — but the ruling's reach goes well beyond those two. If you have TPS for any country, here's what it actually says and what it means for you.

This article is general information, not legal advice. TPS status is changing fast. Consult an accredited representative about your specific situation.

What the Supreme Court actually decided

On June 25, 2026, the Supreme Court ruled 6–3 in two cases decided together: Mullin v. Doe, 609 U.S. ___ (2026) (No. 25-1083, the Syria case), and Trump v. Miot (No. 25-1084, the Haiti case). Together they resolved consolidated challenges to TPS terminations for both countries.

The core holding: Section 1254a(b)(5)(A) of the Immigration and Nationality Act bars courts from reviewing the Secretary of Homeland Security's decision to terminate a TPS designation. That bar covers not just the final termination order but essentially the entire decision-making process leading up to it.

The practical effect: unless a challenger can frame a case as a constitutional violation (like an equal protection claim grounded in discriminatory intent), federal courts have almost no room to second-guess a TPS termination — for any country. The plaintiffs also raised a racial-discrimination argument; the Court found the evidence insufficient.

Justice Kagan, writing for the three dissenters, argued the ruling gives the Secretary unchecked authority and that evidence of discriminatory intent deserved more serious consideration.

Why it matters for countries beyond Haiti and Syria

Before the ruling, federal district courts had issued injunctions pausing TPS terminations for multiple countries — not just Haiti and Syria. Those injunctions were based on the argument that courts could review whether DHS followed proper procedures. The Supreme Court's ruling undercut that legal foundation.

After the decision, USCIS moved quickly. Each district court holding an injunction had to reckon with the new legal reality. Some dissolved their injunctions almost immediately. Others are still working through the process. But the direction of travel is clear: the main legal tool advocates used to pause terminations — judicial review of the termination process — is now largely gone. For the current status of your specific country's EAD, see our country-by-country work permit guide.

What it means country by country

Burma (Myanmar), South Sudan — Both designations were terminated effective August 7, 2026. USCIS announced the A12/C19 EADs for both countries are no longer valid. The district court injunctions that had held those terminations in place have been dissolved, implementing the ruling.

Somalia, Ethiopia — As of August 8, 2026, these two countries still have active court orders holding their terminations in place, but USCIS has been issuing short weekly placeholder extensions. Those court orders are expected to dissolve as the district courts align with this ruling. EADs for Somalia are extended through approximately August 10; Ethiopia through approximately August 19. These dates may change — check uscis.gov/tps/somalia and uscis.gov/tps/ethiopia.

Yemen — The district court cleared the way for termination on July 20, 2026; EADs were extended a few additional days and are no longer valid as of July 24, 2026.

El Salvador — El Salvador's TPS has an independently extended designation through September 9, 2026. This ruling does not automatically end this — it only affects El Salvador if DHS moves to terminate the designation and a challenge is filed. As of now, that designation stands.

Lebanon — Automatically extended through November 27, 2026. DHS did not have adequate time to review the designation before it expired, so it renewed automatically under the statute for a six-month period. Same analysis as El Salvador — this ruling is relevant only if DHS tries to terminate.

Sudan, Ukraine — Active designations through October 19, 2026. Same as above.

The deeper shift

Mullin v. Doe doesn't just affect the countries named in the case. It changes the legal structure around all TPS designations going forward. Before the ruling, an advocacy group or individual could file suit and, if they showed the termination process was procedurally flawed, a court might pause or reverse the termination. That path is now effectively closed for non-constitutional claims.

What remains:

  • Constitutional claims (racial discrimination, due process) — still reviewable, but the majority set a high bar for the discrimination theory
  • Congressional action — S. 4814, a bipartisan bill to extend Haiti's TPS through 2029, has stalled in the Senate after Republicans blocked Sen. Ed Markey's attempt to pass it by unanimous consent in June 2026; similar bills could cover other countries
  • DHS discretion — the Secretary can choose to redesignate or extend any country's TPS; advocates are pressing for this
  • State-level protections — some states have their own worker-protection laws that don't depend on federal TPS status

What this doesn't mean

Mullin v. Doe does not end TPS for countries with active designations. El Salvador, Lebanon, Sudan, and Ukraine still have valid TPS periods running. The ruling matters when and if DHS tries to terminate those designations and faces a legal challenge — at that point, the review-bar holding applies.

It also does not affect your eligibility for other forms of protection. Asylum, family-based petitions, U visas, and other pathways are governed by different statutory schemes and were not at issue in this case. If your TPS has ended, see what other paths might be open to you.

Want to know exactly where your country's EAD stands right now?

Check the country-by-country guide →
This article explains a fast-moving legal situation in general terms — it is not legal advice. The facts here were accurate as of publication (August 8, 2026) and may have changed since; always verify current information at uscis.gov and consult a licensed attorney or DOJ-accredited representative for guidance you can act on.
Sources: Mullin v. Doe, No. 25-1083, consolidated with Trump v. Miot, No. 25-1084, 609 U.S. ___ (2026) — slip opinion · 8 U.S.C. § 1254a(b)(5)(A) — TPS judicial review bar · National Immigration Forum TPS Fact Sheet, August 2026 · American Immigration Council TPS Overview, June 25, 2026 · BAL Immigration News, August 7, 2026 · Fragomen alerts, July–August 2026 · ASAP Together (asaptogether.org) — TPS updates tracker · Congressional Research Service Legal Sidebar LSB11446.