US President Donald Trump's decision to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for hundreds of thousands of Haitians and Syrians has exposed divisions within the Republican Party, with Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin defending the move while Ohio Governor Mike DeWine called it "a mistake."
Appearing on separate Sunday television interviews, Mullin said TPS was always intended to be temporary and urged beneficiaries to seek another legal immigration status or voluntarily return to their home countries.
"Temporary Protected Status was never intended to be permanent," Mullin said on CNN's State of the Union. "These individuals have a couple of choices. They can try to apply for permanent residence here. They can apply for a temporary visa if they choose to, or they can choose to go back. And if they want to go back, we will help them with that."
He said the administration would provide returning migrants with transport and financial assistance.
"We will actually give you a plane ticket, plus roughly $2,100 to help you re-establish when you get there," Mullin said.
The interview followed a Supreme Court ruling allowing the Trump administration to terminate TPS protections for more than 350,000 immigrants from Haiti and Syria while legal challenges continue.
Asked whether Haiti was safe enough for deportations, Mullin said the administration had considered several factors before making the decision.
"There isn't a more generous country in the world than the United States, but we don't want people to take advantage of it," he said.
Pressed on State Department travel advisories and deteriorating conditions in Haiti, Mullin argued that warnings issued to Americans did not necessarily reflect conditions for Haitians returning home.
He added that the administration expected "pretty full flights going back to Haiti" and said rebuilding countries such as Haiti and Syria required their own citizens to return.
"If we really want those countries to succeed, then they need the best of the best to be back in their country living there," he said. "And we're going to assist them in that."
Minutes later on the same programme, DeWine publicly disagreed with the administration's policy, citing both security concerns and labour shortages.
"I think it's a mistake for a number of reasons," the Ohio governor said. "It is clearly not safe. Anybody who has followed Haiti over a long period of time knows that it's worse than it has, frankly, ever been."
DeWine also argued that deporting Haitians would hurt the US economy.
"It is not in the United States' interests, certainly not in Ohio's interest, to have people who are working every single day, supporting their families, buying homes, fixing up old houses, starting businesses and putting down deep roots in this country, only to yank them out," he said.
He said Haitian immigrants play vital roles in manufacturing, food production and healthcare, with many also working in nursing homes caring for elderly Americans. He urged the administration to reconsider the policy, saying it was not in the country's long-term interest.
TPS is a humanitarian programme created by the US Congress in 1990. It allows nationals of designated countries affected by armed conflict, natural disasters or other extraordinary conditions to live and work legally in the United States for limited periods. The designation must be reviewed periodically by the Department of Homeland Security.
Haiti has remained under TPS for years because of political instability, gang violence and repeated natural disasters, while Syria has retained the designation since the outbreak of its civil war. The Trump administration argues that the programme was never intended to become a pathway to permanent residence and that temporary protections should not become permanent immigration status.
US senator warns against election rhetoric
Republican Senator Thom Tillis warned on Sunday that continued attacks on the integrity of US elections could undermine public confidence in American democracy, while renewing his criticism of Director of National Intelligence Bill Pulte.
In an interview on CNN's State of the Union, Tillis said Republicans should stop questioning the legitimacy of elections ahead of the November midterms and instead focus on their record in office.
"I am concerned that we're going to continue to cast doubt on elections in November and erode what has been a 250-year tradition of a peaceful transition of power," Tillis said.
The North Carolina senator also questioned efforts to rapidly implement new election rules before the polls.
"I have people telling me I need to implement the SAVE Act immediately in North Carolina, in a state that has voter ID," he said.
"Why are we doing more things to undermine confidence in elections rather than getting the strong message out that will help Republicans win this year? Accept that the voting laws are going to be fundamentally what they are today and win by them."
Instead of revisiting election disputes, Tillis urged Republicans to campaign on policy issues.
"Talk about the emergence and rise of the Democrat Socialists of America. Accept the voting laws as they are, win under them, and focus on the results Republicans have produced instead of undermining confidence in elections."
Tillis also sharply criticised Director of National Intelligence Bill Pulte.
"I don't think he should be in the administration, let alone in charge of DNI," he said.
"He is singularly responsible for 702 beginning to go dark because of a lack of confidence in him in that role. He needs to go, and we need a credible person in the position."
The senator also argued that the Office of the Director of National Intelligence should eventually be abolished.
"I think, ultimately, we should end DNI and go back to the intelligence community structure we had before 9/11," he said, adding that after 25 years, the US should be able to coordinate intelligence agencies without a separate DNI office.
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence was created in 2004 following recommendations made after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks to improve coordination among US intelligence agencies. It oversees the country's 18-member intelligence community and serves as the principal intelligence adviser to the President.
US senators urge political courage
Republican Senator Todd Young and Democratic Senator Mark Kelly called on American politicians to show greater political courage and put the national interest ahead of partisan politics, while offering contrasting views on President Donald Trump's leadership.
The two senators made the remarks during a joint interview on ABC's This Week, where they discussed political polarisation, bipartisan cooperation and the challenges of governing in an increasingly divided America.
Kelly said elected officials must sometimes take positions that could damage their own political careers.
"You have to take stands that you know are the right thing for the nation that moves us forward in a positive way, but could be politically harmful to you and your career," the Arizona Democrat said. "That's hard for some folks."
Young, an Indiana Republican and former Marine, said political courage often meant accepting criticism from one's own supporters.
"It's the courage to be misunderstood by people you respect and love and whose values you share on difficult issues," Young said. "It's courage to do unpopular things."
The discussion turned to Trump's recent accusation that Kelly's comments about military personnel amounted to sedition.
Young revealed that he contacted Kelly privately after the episode.
"My first reaction was to text Mark and engage in a dialogue that very morning," Young said, adding that lawmakers must balance public criticism with the need to continue working together on legislation.
Kelly acknowledged the difficult position faced by Republicans serving under Trump.
"We're all adults. We understand the complexities of our own individual politics," he said.
"It's easier to be in the minority. To be in the majority under a leader who is, fair to say, very unconventional in his approach is much more complicated."
Young defended Trump's political influence while stressing that lawmakers still had an independent responsibility to act in the national interest.
"He has more loyal political followers than I've ever encountered in political life," Young said.
"But that in no way absolves myself or any of my colleagues, Republican or Democrat, from the responsibility we have. We still need to make personal sacrifices when we believe the common good can be advanced."
The senators also differed over the state of American politics ahead of the country's 250th anniversary celebrations.
Kelly argued that the country remained deeply divided.
"We have a President who looks for every opportunity, not to bring the country together, but to further divide us," he said.
Young placed greater responsibility on voters.
"The reason we're so divided right now and the reason we have a government that we're unhappy with is because the American people elected the current crop of senators, congressmen and the President," he said.
"If they have concerns about the way we're being led, then they should elect people who can do a better job."
