James Percival Criticizes District Judges for Defying Supreme Court Rulings on Temporary Protected Status
DHS Chief Counsel James Percival criticized a group of federal district judges for what he described as "naked political activism" after they repeatedly blocked deportations and Temporary Protected Status (TPS) rollbacks. The administration announced that the First Circuit Court of Appeals recently handed President Trump two immigration victories by reversing orders from U.S. District Judges Brian Murphy and Patti Saris. These judges had previously blocked the termination of TPS for migrants from Ethiopia and South Sudan, despite a Supreme Court ruling in Mullin v. Doe which established that courts cannot block terminations based on non-constitutional claims. Iowa Solicitor General Eric Wessan supported the First Circuit's decision, noting that the district judges were operating outside legal bounds by second-guessing the Secretary of Homeland Security's determinations. The administration defended the termination of TPS, noting that the status was intended to be temporary and had functioned as de facto amnesty. The rulings represent a significant win for the administration's efforts to streamline immigration procedures and uphold the rule of law.