BOSTON — The U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way Thursday for the Trump administration to immediately end Temporary Protected Status for Syrian and Haitian nationals, putting tens of thousands of people in Massachusetts at risk of losing legal status and work authorization, in addition to their potential return to countries the U.S. State Department still deems unsafe.
State officials cheered in February when a federal judge stayed President Donald Trump’s plan to end the protections granted to people from countries facing conflict, natural disaster or other extraordinary conditions for people from Haiti and Syria. Temporary Protected Status was authorized for Haiti following the 2010 earthquake and Syria was added to the list in 2012 during a civil war.
On Thursday, as the nation’s highest court overruled the previous stay with a 6-3 decision, Gov. Maura Healey and others lashed out, with the governor saying the Haitians and Syrians who contribute to the Massachusetts economy “deserve better than this.”
“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,” Healey said in a statement.
She added, “My administration is reviewing the full implications of this decision and will continue working closely with Attorney General [Andrea] Campbell, community organizations, employers and state agencies to support affected families. Massachusetts will continue standing up for all of our communities and the values that make our state and our country so strong.”
Healey’s office said it is coordinating with state agencies, community organizations and legal service providers “to provide accurate information and support to impacted individuals and families,” and encouraged Syrians and Haitians to seek guidance from trusted legal service providers regarding their specific circumstances.
Campbell said the ruling “will have severe consequences in Massachusetts.”
“It will also put lives at risk by forcing families to return to countries experiencing violence, instability and humanitarian crisis. Tearing families apart and weakening our ability to care for patients and elders in Massachusetts does not make our communities safer or stronger,” the attorney general said. “Importantly, the loss of TPS does not necessarily mean the loss of all legal protections. Some individuals may have other immigration statuses or options available. I strongly encourage impacted individuals to seek qualified legal guidance to understand their rights.”
The U.S. Department of State has both Haiti and Syria in its “Level 4: Do Not Travel” category.
At a January hearing in Boston, U.S. Sen. Ed Markey and U.S. Reps. Ayanna Pressley and Seth Moulton knocked the Trump administration’s plan to let Temporary Protected Status expire for Haitian immigrants, saying it would put roughly 350,000 people nationwide at risk of deportation. Healey has said there are “more than 45,000 Haitian TPS holders” in Massachusetts.
Advocates of the administration’s decision have said it is part of a broader push to enforce immigration laws and return Temporary Protected Status to its original short-term intent, with the Department of Homeland Security arguing that permitting Haitian nationals to remain temporarily in the United States “is contrary to the national interest.”
In a Jan. 30 letter to then-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Healey said conditions in Haiti that justified the original 2010 Temporary Protected Status designation — “political instability, widespread violence, humanitarian crises and limited access to basic services — remain severe.” She cited contributions of Haitian nationals “as taxpayers and consumers.”
“TPS-eligible Haitians contribute $4.4 billion annually to the U.S. economy,” the governor wrote in her letter. “They pay taxes, contribute to Social Security and Medicare, and spend their earnings in local businesses, strengthening our communities. Many are homeowners, parents of U.S.-citizen children, and long-term residents who have built their lives here and are committed to the future of our state.”