A federal appeals court blocked the Trump administration from ending Temporary Protected Status for Haitians through the weekend, CBS News reported.
This means Haitian TPS holders can keep their work permits and will be protected from deportation – for now.
There are about 350,000 Haitians living in the United States, including about 40,000 New Yorkers. In June, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Trump administration could move forward with stripping TPS from hundreds of thousands of Haitian and Syrian immigrants.
New York Attorney General Letitia James on Wednesday joined a coalition of 18 other attorneys general urging Congress to extend TPS for Haitians and pass legislation to allow for judicial oversight of TPS decisions to ensure TPS holders are not subject to illegal deportations.
“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,” James said in a statement. “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.”
TPS was set to expire on Friday.
Elected officials on Wednesday told residents in East Flatbush that federal immigration officials were targeting the area, home to many Haitians, according to Spectrum News NY1.
The officials, including Public Advocate Jumaane Williams and Council Member Farrah Louis, told residents not to open their doors without a judicial warrant and that they can record immigration agents as long as they do not interfere.
“Temporary Protected Status exists because people should not be forced back into danger," Governor Kathy Hochul said in a statement. "As dangerous conditions persist in Haiti and other TPS-designated countries, the White House must reverse course. No administration should knowingly send law-abiding people back into harm’s way when the law provides a path to protect them.”
