Work authorization expires Friday for Haitians with TPS – NBC 6 South Florida

The employment authorization for Haitians and Syrians with Temporary Protected Status (TPS) is set to expire on Friday, according to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

The Supreme Court cleared the way on June 25 for the Trump administration to remove legal protections from thousands of Haitian and Syrian immigrants in the United States. The ruling affects 93,000 workers in Florida, according to the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association, many of whom work in the hospitality industry.

Their employee authorization expires July 10.

Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, is a program that allows foreign nationals from countries experiencing crises such as natural disasters or armed conflict to live in the U.S. for up to 18 months. The federal government previously renewed the designations, making them effectively permanent before President Donald Trump took office again.

About 158,000 Haitians in Florida have TPS, the majority of whom are in South Florida. The Sunshine State has the largest population of TPS recipients in the U.S, nearly 404,000 people. More than half are from Venezuela and about a third are from Haiti, according to the Congressional Research Service, a nonpartisan research arm.

According to the nonprofit ASAP, an organization for asylum seekers, Haitians whose TPS is going to expire “may want to consider applying for asylum or another type of immigration status now if you are eligible.”

“This can be a complicated decision that depends on your specific circumstances. If you decide to apply for asylum, it is best to apply before your TPS expires if possible. However, you can still apply after your TPS expires,” the organization writes.

You may want to contact an immigration lawyer or review other options here.