The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday cleared the way for the Trump administration to revoke Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for approximately 350,000 Venezuelan nationals, exposing them to possible detention and deportation.

In a brief order with only one recorded dissent, the justices granted the administration’s emergency request to stay a lower court ruling that had preserved TPS protections for Venezuelans after they were scheduled to expire last month. The court did not provide a written explanation for its decision, which is customary in emergency filings.

TPS allows nationals of countries suffering from conflict or natural disasters to legally reside and work in the U.S. while conditions at home remain unsafe. Venezuela received TPS status due to ongoing political instability and humanitarian crisis.

Immigration attorney Ahilan Arulanantham, representing the plaintiffs in the case, called the ruling “the single largest action in modern American history stripping any group of non-citizens of immigration status.” He warned that the decision leaves hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans in limbo and at risk of deportation.

“This decision will force families to choose between survival and stability,” said Cecilia Gonzalez Herrera, a plaintiff in the case who now fears removal to a country she fled for her safety. “Venezuelans are not criminals. We deserve the right to live and thrive without the threat of being sent back into danger.”

The case originated from a challenge to the Trump administration’s effort to end TPS for Venezuelans. U.S. District Judge Edward Chen had previously blocked the move, arguing that deporting individuals to Venezuela amid worsening political repression and humanitarian crisis would be dangerous and unjust. The administration appealed, and the Ninth Circuit Court declined to stay Judge Chen’s order—prompting the appeal to the Supreme Court.

One affected family, Mariana Moleros, her husband, and their daughter, came to the U.S. in 2005 after facing threats for opposing Venezuela’s socialist government. Their asylum claim was denied, but they were later granted TPS. Now, Moleros says they once again live in fear.

“We are at risk of imprisonment or worse if we are forced to return,” said Moleros, a Venezuelan attorney living in Florida. “Deporting someone to a place where they could be assassinated or tortured is unconscionable.”

While the full legal battle is still pending—with another hearing scheduled before Judge Chen next week—the Supreme Court’s action allows the Trump administration to proceed with plans to end protections immediately.

The Biden administration had extended TPS for Venezuelans in 2021, but President Trump reversed the decision upon returning to office, citing concerns about abuse of immigration laws and a need to reduce unauthorized migration.

The immediate consequences for TPS holders remain uncertain, though immigrant rights groups are urging Congress to intervene and provide permanent legal protections for long-term residents facing deportation.