New York Attorney General Letitia James has joined a coalition of 18 other attorneys general in urging the United States Congress to extend Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians.
The attorneys general also urged Congress to pass legislation to allow for judicial oversight of TPS decisions ‘to ensure TPS holders are not subject to illegal deportations.’
In June, the US Supreme Court ruled that the Trump administration could move forward with stripping TPS from hundreds of thousands of Haitian and Syrian immigrants.
The attorneys general said the decision threatens the nearly 350,000 Haitians who have spent years living, working and raising their families in the US, particularly in New York, which is home to one of the nation’s largest Haitian communities.
They said the Supreme Court’s decision also makes it ‘significantly more difficult to challenge TPS terminations in court, threatening these protections for other vulnerable immigrants nationwide.’
In a letter to Congressional leadership, the coalition urges Congress to pass legislation requiring judicial oversight of TPS decisions and extending TPS for Haitian immigrants who are facing deportation.
‘This administration’s attempt to claw back protections for hundreds of thousands of immigrants living and working across the United States has caused untold chaos and confusion,’ said Attorney General James on Friday. ‘All across our country, Haitian TPS holders have raised families, started businesses and made valuable contributions to our economy.
‘TPS was intended to help those who cannot safely return to their home country, and I urge Congress to strengthen our laws to protect TPS holders,’ she added.
James said the US has a long history of providing a safe haven to those who flee armed conflict, natural disasters and repressive conditions, and that Haitian immigrants were granted TPS protection in 2010 after a deadly earthquake.
She said these protections have been extended over the last 16 years as the country faced additional natural disasters, political turmoil and public health outbreaks.
As James and the coalition stated in their letter, Haitian TPS recipients make ‘invaluable contributions to the communities and economies where they live.
‘Haitians fill critical health care jobs and contribute an estimated US$5.9 billion to the US economy annually and pay approximately US$1.6 billion in taxes,’ the letter says.
‘Revoking TPS for Haitians will jeopardize the safety, health, and economic wellbeing of communities throughout the country and cause chaos for families who have been living and working in the United States for years,’ they say, noting that the House has already passed a bill to extend TPS to Haitians.
The coalition is urging the Senate to do the same.