Judge blocks Trump administration’s move to end TPS for Haitians
While the program was intended to be temporary, conditions in Haiti remain dire.
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A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration from ending Temporary Protected Status for about 350,000 Haitian immigrants, allowing them to stay and work legally in the United States, for now.
The ruling, issued Monday, pauses the planned termination of TPS for Haitians, which had been set to expire Feb. 3.
In an 83-page decision, judge Ana C. Reyes of the District of Columbia found that a lawsuit challenging the administration’s decision to end TPS should be allowed to proceed.
TPS grants temporary legal status and work authorization to immigrants from countries experiencing extraordinary conditions, such as natural disasters or armed conflict. Haitian nationals were first granted TPS after the devastating 2010 earthquake.
While the program was intended to be temporary, conditions in Haiti remain dire. The country continues to face political instability, widespread violence and powerful gangs that control parts of the country.
“They’re not illegal. They’re not criminals,” said a church leader at St Jerome church in Brooklyn's Little Haiti. “These are working people who have families, who have contributed to the economy. They pay taxes.”
Elected officials also reacted to the decision, saying the uncertainty surrounding TPS has caused fear and anxiety among immigrants.
“So many people are nervous and anxious,” said New York City Council Member Mercedes Narcisse, who represents parts of Brooklyn with a large Haitian population.
The judge’s decision does not make TPS permanent. Instead, it temporarily blocks the administration’s plan while the lawsuit challenging the termination of TPS continues in court.
Immigration advocates warn the legal fight is far from over.
Attorneys are advising TPS holders to prepare for multiple outcomes as the case moves forward.
