New York, NY—Today, U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes in Washington, D.C. blocked the Trump administration’s attempt to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians. This is a critical victory for 350,000 workers and community members, including 125,000 Haitian New Yorkers. This judge found that the Trump administration was likely acting with “hostility to nonwhite immigrants” and failed to consider actual conditions in Haiti when stripping legal status from Haitian Americans. Haitian Americans cannot safely return to the country due to political chaos, gang violence, and climate precarity in their homeland.
Murad Awawdeh, President and CEO, New York Immigration Coalition:
“We applaud the court for its thoughtful decision today. The Trump administration’s attempt to end TPS for Haiti is another cruel attack on immigrant New Yorkers, one which would have forced people into the deportation pipeline regardless of the cost to human lives. Our Haitian neighbors are vital to the social and economic fabric of America and New York – they are essential workers, caregivers, healthcare workers, business owners, and so much more. While protecting TPS for Haiti is an important step to safeguarding the well-being of immigrant families who have long called this country home, our neighbors need permanent protections to be shielded from the Trump administration’s insatiable cruelty. We call on the New York Congressional Delegation and Congress to act now and provide permanent protections for Haitians and all TPS holders.”