Mayor Michelle Wu and City Councillor Ruthzee Louijeune stood with state and community leaders this afternoon to condemn today’s Supreme Court decision that allows the Trump administration to terminate the Temporary Protected Status of tens of thousands of Haitian nationals living legally now in Massachusetts.
Wu, who at times shed tears during a defiant address, said Boston would stand with the Haitian community, but added, “This is no moment to sugarcoat anything.”
“Today, Donald Trump’s enablers on the Supreme Court handed down a decision that disregards established law, basic human dignity, and fundamental American values,” said Wu.
“Today, our Haitian and Syrian neighbors, friends, coworkers, and family members are hearing a message from the highest court in this country … that because they were born in certain places around the world, their futures are somehow less worthy of protection,” Wu said. “That is as un-American as it gets.”
Louijeune, the daughter of Haitian immigrants, called the 6-3 decision led by the Trumpist court “a sad day” and “a dangerous opinion.” She said the ruling would harm hundreds of thousands of Haitians nationally, many of whom have lived in the United States since the devastating 2010 earthquake and have children who are American citizens.
“We are tearing families apart,” Louijeune said. “We are tearing apart our workplaces, our economies.”
Louijeune noted the irony of the decision given the current US State Department warning against travel to Haiti.
“And yet they think it is safe or okay to detain and deport 350,000 Haitians who have been here, many of whom since the devastating earthquake in 2010. Make it make sense because it does not.”
Wu noted that Boston had just hosted the Haitian national soccer team and was a sentimental favorite of many Bostonians— and not just Haitian Americans.
“When Haiti scored its first World Cup goal in 52 years, our city exploded with joy across every neighborhood for the sense of pride that we felt for our people, for our neighbors, for our community,” Wu said. “This is nothing new. It is who we are to celebrate our neighbors, to do everything in our power, to protect and defend the people we care about.”
“Many of our Haitian neighbors have lived in Boston for decades and decades, have built their families and built our community,” Wu said. “They coach our kids, care for our elders, keep our streets safe. They serve in our schools, our nonprofits, our public safety agencies.”
Both Wu and Louijeune emphasized that the Supreme Court decision does not immediately cancel work authorization for people who currently hold valid work permits. Wu urged employers not to take premature action and said employment decisions should be based on current documentation and individual immigration circumstances.
Attorney General Andrea Campbell, who spoke earlier in the press conference, said her office was still studying the decision to determine the timing of the implementation.
“I want to assure TPS holders and their families that this decision today does not go into effect today. You remain protected today,” Campbell said.
However, Campbell also said state officials were still waiting on the Department of Homeland Security for more information about the timeline, which she said “still remains unknown.”
“This is still, however, a devastating outcome, none that any of us wanted,” Campbell said.
Campbell said the ruling should alarm every employer, health care provider, institution, and resident in Massachusetts.
“If you have stood on the sidelines, you’ve stood on the sidelines for far too long,” Campbell said. “It is now time for you to step up and to join all of us in exercising leadership, courage, and protecting the people we say we love dearly.”
She urged people to contact the Department of Homeland Security and Congress to demand that TPS protections remain in place.
“We are not powerless,” Campbell said. “If anything we should be saying, we’re just getting started.”
Gov. Healey struck a similar tone, noting that Massachusetts is home to more than 45,000 Haitian TPS holders, the third-largest Haitian population in the country, and that many work in health care, human services, small businesses, and other sectors critical to the state’s economy.
“Our immigrant neighbors have built safe, productive lives here,” Healey said. “They pay taxes, they work here. They are caregivers, our coworkers, our friends, the fabric of our communities.”
“Massachusetts will not turn our back on families who’ve built their lives here in our great state,” Healey said. “We’re going to protect these families and support these families in any way that we can.”
