Supreme Court ruling may force some TPS immigrants from Haiti, Syria to leave U.S.

AMARILLO, Texas (KVII) — A recent Supreme Court ruling could mean some immigrants who have lived in the United States legally for years may now have to leave, creating uncertainty for families who have built lives in the country under Temporary Protected Status.

Benson Gustave, who immigrated from Haiti in 2019, has been living and working in the U.S. legally under TPS. The ruling impacts hundreds of thousands of people from Haiti and Syria, and Gustave said he is now worried about losing what he has built in the U.S., including the possibility of being separated from his family.

“I’ve come to accept it. If it does happen, you know, it’s out of my control. It’s in God’s hands. I’ve been prepping my daughters. I’ve been letting them know. Hey, look, daddy may be going on a slight vacation. It may take some time,” Gustave said.

Gustave said that because of the Supreme Court’s ruling, he has considered self-deportation.

“I definitely want to set an example by following the rules and following the law. I don’t want to, you know, stain my name,” he said.

Immigration attorney Esmeralda Sosa with Vasquez Law Firm said TPS is a humanitarian program created by Congress that allows individuals from countries experiencing conflict to remain in the U.S. Sosa recommended that immigrants affected by the ruling seek legal counsel.

“They could be potentially placed in removal proceedings. And then we would see whether they are afraid of going back to their home country, whether they have any family, relatives in the United States so they could qualify, possibly for cancellation of removal. Let’s see how many years they have been placed in the United States,” Sosa said.

Despite the uncertainty, Gustave said he is trying to remain positive and shared a message for the Haitian community in the U.S.

“I just want to let all my Haitian people know that it’s going to be okay. Keep God first. We’re very strong, resilient people. And I want to let everyone else know that us Haitians here, when we come here, we do look to better our lives to contribute to the community,” he said.

Supreme Court ruling may force some TPS immigrants from Haiti, Syria to leave U.S. (KVII)