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2 

SANCHEZ v. MAYORKAS 

Opinion of the Court 

here) on an “admission” into this country.  And an “admis-
sion”  is  defined  as  “the  lawful  entry  of  the  alien  into  the 
United States after inspection and authorization by an im-
migration officer.”  §1101(a)(13)(A).  The admission—or, to 
use  the  definitional  phrase,  “lawful  entry”—requirement
appears  in  two  pertinent  provisions  of  §1255.    One  states 
that  a  nonimmigrant  may  become  an  LPR  only  if  he  has
been  “inspected  and  admitted  or  paroled  into  the  United 
States.”  §1255(a).  And another states that a nonimmigrant 
who  has  previously  worked  without  authorization  in  the 
United States may become an LPR only if his presence here 
is  “pursuant  to  a  lawful  admission.” 
§1255(k)(1);  see 
§1255(c)(2).1 

A separate provision of immigration law establishes the 
TPS  program,  which  provides  humanitarian  relief  to  for-
eign nationals in the United States who come from specified 
countries.  See §1254a.  The Government may designate a 
country for the program when it is beset by especially bad
or dangerous conditions, such as arise from natural disas-
ters  or  armed  conflicts.  The  country’s  citizens,  if  already 
present in the United States, may then obtain TPS.  That 
status protects them from removal and authorizes them to
work here for as long as the TPS designation lasts.  A per-
son’s unlawful entry into the United States will usually not 
preclude granting him TPS.  See §1254a(c)(2)(A)(ii); 8 CFR
§244.3 (2020).  And relevant here, the TPS provision states: 
“[F]or purposes of adjustment of status under section 1255,” 
a  person  given  TPS  “shall  be  considered  as  being  in,  and 
status  as  a  nonimmigrant.” 
maintaining, 
§1254a(f )(4). 

lawful 

—————— 

1 Section  1255(k)’s  requirement  of  a  lawful  admission,  unlike 
§1255(a)’s, applies even if the nonimmigrant has been paroled into the 
United States—that is, received temporary permission to enter the coun-
try  “for  urgent  humanitarian  reasons  or  significant  public  benefit.”    8 
U. S. C. §1182(d)(5)(A).  So a nonimmigrant who has worked without au-
thorization cannot rely on his parolee status (if any) to become an LPR.