The Supreme Court hears arguments Wednesday on the Trump administration's decision to end Temporary Protected Status for immigrants from Haiti and Syria, a case that could determine the fate of 1.3 million people from 17 countries living legally in the United States.

The case focuses on 350,000 Haitians and 6,000 Syrians whose protections former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem terminated. But immigrants from 15 other countries are watching closely, including an estimated 200,000 from El Salvador who have lived in America for 25 years under the program.

TPS allows immigrants already in the country to stay with work permits for up to 18 months at a time, renewable as long as the Homeland Security secretary deems conditions unsafe for return. Noem ended TPS for all 12 countries that came up for renewal during her tenure.

The justices will examine whether the administration properly evaluated conditions in Haiti and Syria when ending protections and whether it showed bias against non-white immigrants. The program more than doubled in size during Biden's presidency before Trump's return to office.

José Urías exemplifies what's at stake. The 47-year-old crossed from Mexico in 1994 and built a Boston-area construction company that has erected more than 150 homes over 18 years. He employs three people directly and works with seven contractors who employ dozens more.

"Our life is based here, I have lived more of my life here than in El Salvador," Urías said from his Boston home. "It's like living out your American Dream, and then suddenly — just like that — being told your time is up."

Urías married another TPS beneficiary from El Salvador. They have two American-born sons. Like most Salvadorans in the program, their children are U.S. citizens who face potential separation from deported parents.

Salvadorans gained TPS protection in 2001 after two major earthquakes devastated their country. Many have since started businesses, bought homes, and established deep community ties across America.

El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele, considered a key U.S. ally in Central America, has a direct stake in the outcome. TPS beneficiaries send billions in remittances to family members back home, providing essential economic support to the small nation.

The legal challenge from this earlier Supreme Court case could reshape how future administrations evaluate country conditions for TPS decisions. Immigration advocates argue the Trump administration's blanket terminations ignored ongoing violence and instability in affected nations.

El Salvador's TPS designation comes up for renewal September 9, giving the current administration time to make its own determination regardless of the Supreme Court's ruling. Few expect Trump to extend protections voluntarily.

"It's not guaranteed, but it's not impossible either," Urías said, maintaining cautious optimism despite the legal uncertainty surrounding his family's future in America.

A Supreme Court decision is expected by June, potentially affecting more than one million immigrants who have built lives in the United States over decades under temporary protections that may soon become permanent departures.