The Supreme Court handed President Trump two wins Thursday in his efforts to limit immigration, including a 6-3 ruling that ends legal protections for migrants fleeing violence and natural disaster in Haiti and Syria.
The ruling clears the way for the Department of Homeland Security to end Temporary Protected Status for hundreds of thousands of Haitians and Syrians, exposing them to potential deportation. The Trump administration had argued that those nations no longer meet the criteria for those protections.
A separate ruling allows the White House to restart a controversial policy limiting the number of asylum seekers at the southern border who claim to be fleeing political, racial or religious persecution in their home country.
In Milwaukee, Kantara Souffrant said the TPS ruling hits close to home. Souffrant is a curator of community dialogue at the Milwaukee Art Museum, which is home to one of the most extensive Haitian art collections in the world outside of Haiti.
She is the child of two Haitian immigrants. She has family members who immigrated to the United States — some of whom have been naturalized, and some who, after Thursday's ruling, are now unsure whether they will be separated from their community.
"The ruling for me is not just a judicial act; it's a thing that has repercussions on my family and makes me wonder whether or not we are going to stay together," Souffrant said.
Watch: Milwaukee woman calls Supreme Court TPS ruling a threat to humanity after justices end protections
Souffrant said the concern extends beyond her immediate family.
"It makes me worried about people's safety. Both my blood kin and members of my larger Haitian community and larger immigrant community in Milwaukee and beyond," Souffrant said.
The Milwaukee Art Museum's Haitian art exhibit features rich history, vibrant colors, and stories of community, faith and everyday life. Souffrant said the collection reflects the core values found in Haiti and the Haitian diaspora.
"They notice the sort of vitality and sort of joy even in moments that are rooted in difficult circumstances," Souffrant said.
For Souffrant, the ruling raises questions that go beyond immigration policy.
"This is really about a sense of humanity that goes beyond whether or not you're Haitian or Syrian; it's really about what are the things that we need to be in this world and to feel whole, and what we need is human connection," Souffrant said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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