Mass. Haitian TPS Delayed: Urgent Healthcare Crisis Ahead?
Around 45,000 Haitians living in Massachusetts with Temporary Protected Status (TPS) have been given more time to sort things out before potentially returning to their economically ravaged island home in the Caribbean.
The Washington Post recently reported that “Work permits will now expire for Haitians with temporary humanitarian protections on July 24, according to the update from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.”
Roughly 350,000 Haitians were granted TPS status following a 2010 earthquake that devastated the island nation, killing hundreds of thousands of people.
Healthcare and Elder Care Industries Bracing for Impact
The U.S. Supreme Court recently upheld the Trump Administration’s decision to end TPS status for the Haitians and TPS beneficiaries from Syria. Many Haitians who settled in Massachusetts have found employment in the health care-related industries.
Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell said she was “disappointed” by the Supreme Court decision. “This decision will have severe consequences in Massachusetts, where thousands of TPS holders hold critical roles in our healthcare and elder care industries,” Campbell said.
“The loss of TPS does not necessarily mean the loss of all legal protections,” she said. “Some individuals may have other immigration statuses or options available.”
What Impacted Individuals Should Do Next
Impacted individuals are “encouraged” to “seek qualified legal guidance to understand their rights.”
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services website is the recommended source of information for the termination of TPS status for Haitians in America.
Breitbart reported the delay “will allow more lobbying for an additional Trump concession that could keep the workers on the job for more weeks.”
In January, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey wrote to then-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem asking her to extend TPS status for Haitians living and working in America due to dangerous conditions in their homeland.
Massachusetts is home to one of the largest Haitian communities in the nation.
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