WASHINGTON — Arguing that the designation of "Temporary Protected Status" must be taken literally, administration officials urged the Supreme Court on Tuesday to strip deportation protections from longtime residents of the United States, clarifying that escaping civil war and state collapse was never meant to be a permanent arrangement.

"These individuals have been here for over a decade, established families, and contributed billions to the American economy, which clearly violates the spirit of a temporary humanitarian loophole," a government spokesperson told reporters. The spokesperson noted that the administration's successful 2025 effort to end protections for Venezuelans—upheld by the Supreme Court—proved that deporting tax-paying residents is firmly in the national interest.

When asked about ongoing gang violence, lacking healthcare, and the general aftermath of civil war in Haiti and Syria, officials maintained that the conditions for a safe return have technically been met. The administration emphasized that fulfilling campaign promises to restrict non-white immigration requires making difficult sacrifices on behalf of people who will be sent back to active conflict zones.

"We must strictly enforce the rule of law," said an official whose department's previous attempts to end protections between 2017 and 2020 were blocked by lower courts over procedural violations and racial animus. "If we allow people to stay simply because returning would endanger their lives, it could set a dangerous precedent for our immigration system."