The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) dealt a decisive blow to Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for tens of thousands of Haitians living in Massachusetts on Thursday with a 6-3 decision that permits the Trump administration to end TPS status for Haitians.
Trump, who has vilified Haitians throughout his tenure, tried to end TPS at the beginning of his second term, but federal judges in lower courts blocked the termination.
Trump’s lawyers appealed to SCOTUS, which today ruled along party lines that Trump has the power to end the protections and expel the Haitian nationals, some of whom have lived in the US with TPS status since 2010 after a massive earthquake.
As the court case has awaited a SCOTUS decision, US Rep. Ayanna Pressley has advanced legislation in Congress that would extend TPS protections.
The 6-3 decision along party lines is devastating news locally. There are approximately 350,000 Haitian TPS holders nationwide, and approximately 44,000 TPS holders of all nationalities in Massachusetts, according to a National Immigration Forum fact sheet.
Gov. Maura Healey said: “Today’s decision upholding Donald Trump’s cruel and harmful policy makes absolutely no sense and only serves to hurt our immigrant families, our communities, and our economy. Massachusetts stands with our Haitian and Syrian communities today and every day.”
“Donald Trump is ripping away protections from families and children who have fled devastating earthquakes, violence and other humanitarian crises to build safe, productive lives here in Massachusetts and across the country. These are people who are raising families, paying taxes, caring for our loved ones, opening businesses and filling critical jobs. Haitian and Syrian immigrants are our neighbors, coworkers, caregivers, health care workers, business owners and friends. They have become part of the fabric of our communities and a foundation of our economy. They deserve better than this, and I know our country is better than this.”
U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren said it was a decision by Trump’s “hand-picked Supreme Court” and cleared the way for him to deport “hard-working, legal immigrants into imminent danger.”
“It’s horrific and lawless,” she said. “The Supreme Court is letting the president ignore the laws set by Congress and terminate protections for up to 1.3 million TPS workers and their families across the country. This decision is a disaster for the rule of law and a disaster for thousands of families in Massachusetts.”
Councillor Ruthzee Louijeune, the first Haitian American councillor elected in Boston, said it was “deeply disappointing” decision.
“This decision is dangerous, and it is a devastating blow to families, workers, and entire communities,” she said. “TPS holders have lived and worked safely here, many since the devastating 2010 earthquake in Haiti. In Boston, I have heard directly from constituents who are living in deep fear. Parents are worried about being separated from their children. Workers are concerned about losing their jobs and livelihoods. Families who have spent years contributing to our neighborhoods are now being forced to contemplate impossible choices about their future.”
She added that Haiti was not safe now, and “TPS exists precisely because conditions in countries like Haiti remain unsafe. Haiti continues to face profound political instability, widespread violence, kidnappings, and humanitarian crises.”
Said Elizabeth Sweet, executive director of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy (MIRA) Coalition, “Striking down Temporary Protective Status for roughly 350,000 Haitians living in the United States, a country many call home, is inhumane, immoral, and abhorrent. Forcing individuals to return to an extremely dangerous and violent situation, one which they have already fled, will rip families and communities apart. Haitian TPS holders are critical to the makeup of our state and country, and this decision will be catastrophic for our state’s workforce and economy.
“Despite this devastating decision, MIRA remains committed to advocating for the rights and safety of all immigrants, and stands in solidarity with the Haitian community,” she said.
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