New York City Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani says the city will ‘do everything in its power’ to support Haiti Temporary Protected Status (TPS) recipients as the Haitian community reels from the termination of TPS for almost 350, 000 nationals by the Trump administration.
‘The city will do everything in its power to support TPS recipients in this time of incredible instability, including through free legal consultations to assess eligibility for other forms of work authorization, as well as assistance navigating health insurance and other resources for employees and their families,’ he said.
‘Every affected employee is being connected with agency staff to understand their options, including non-disciplinary separation or resignation, pathways to reinstatement if work authorization is restored or another legal status is obtained, and support throughout this process,’ he added.
Mamdani said the City of New York was ‘forced by federal law, as recently decided by the Supreme Court, to review the work authorization of Haitian TPS holders and separate from any employees who have not established alternative paths to legal work.
‘The Haitian community is an indispensable part of New York City. Many of these TPS holders have lived here for decades. They fled earthquakes, famine, war and political violence.
‘They arrived in New York and built lives, raised families and started small businesses. Their contributions to the health care, construction, and hospitality industries, among so many others, help drive our economic strength. Their art, food, culture and families help make ours the greatest city on earth.’
Mamdani noted that only United States President Donald J. Trump has the power to restore TPS or grant Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) to affected TPS holders.
‘Doing so would provide immediate protection while allowing families, employers and communities the certainty they need – and demonstrate the importance of an immigration policy that is both orderly and compassionate,’ he said, urging Trump to ‘exercise his authority to benefit all New Yorkers and protect our economy and provide certainty for employers and communities.’
In a special visit to the Caribbean community in Brooklyn on July 30, New York Governor Kathy Hochul reaffirmed her support for Haitian TPS recipients.
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.