The American Immigration Council is a non-profit, non-partisan organization. Updates
April 13, 2026 — The Supreme Court agreed to hear arguments related to Haitian and Syrian Temporary Protected Status (TPS), with oral arguments taking place in late April and a decision later this summer. The court’s ruling will significantly impact the estimated 6,100 Syrian and 330,000 Haitian TPS holders.
Additionally, Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) secured 218 votes for the first immigration-related “discharge petition” — including four Republicans — seeking to force a vote on H.R. 1689, a bill that would require the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to extend TPS for Haitian nationals through January 20, 2029.
In the latest move in an ongoing legal battle, a federal judge blocked the Trump administration from terminating Temporary Protected Status for over 330,000 TPS holders from Haiti living in the United States. The February 2 ruling offered critical, albeit temporary, relief for this community that has built lives, invested in careers, and enriched communities across the country. Yet even as the decision preserves legal protections for now, the future of TPS for Haitians remains uncertain, as the Trump administration filed its appeal to the Supreme Court on Wednesday.
What is TPS?
TPS is a temporary immigration status that was created by Congress in 1990 that allows nationals of certain countries to live and work legally in the United States when returning home would be unsafe due to armed conflict, environmental disaster, or other extraordinary conditions. Once granted TPS, a person receives protection from deportation and temporary work authorization.
TPS was first designated for Haiti in 2010 immediately following a devastating 7.0-magnitude earthquake. Haiti has been re-designated for TPS for the last 16 years due to ongoing disasters and political uncertainty.
As of March 31, 2025, there were approximately 1.3 million people, including Haitians, with TPS living in the U.S. However, the Trump administration has since terminated or attempted to terminate TPS for the majority of these individuals. Secretary Noem terminated every single TPS grant which came up for a possible renewal during her tenure.
What’s at stake?
The consequences of the decision are enormous. Many TPS holders have lived in the U.S. for more than a decade, raised U.S.-born children, purchased homes, and started businesses. Hundreds of thousands entered lawfully from 2021 to 2024 and have been residing in the country with legal status ever since.
Terminating TPS for Haiti would also have a severe impact on the U.S. economy. Based on our analysis of 2023 American Community Survey data, more than 164,000 TPS holders from Haiti who resided in the U.S. earned $3.9 billion in total household income, paid a total of $983.9 million in taxes — including $600.8 million in federal taxes and $383.1 million in state & local taxes — and held $2.9 billion in spending power.
As of March 31, 2025, the population had increased to 330,735. Since then, the economic contributions of the Haitian TPS population have likely grown, according to a recent analysis by UndocuBlack Network, Haitian Bridge Alliance, and Fwd.US.
Ending Haitian TPS would strip hundreds of thousands of their work authorization and place them at risk of deportation to a country that continues to face profound instability.
It would also have sweeping economic and social consequences for local communities. The loss of TPS protections could disrupt entire industries, from health care to construction to hospitality, while destabilizing families and local economies. Removing the 300,000 Haitian TPS holders from the U.S. workforce would strain employers already facing labor shortages, and reduce local tax bases and spending power.
Socially, families could face the trauma of separation, particularly in mixed-status households where children are American citizens (50,000 U.S. citizen children have at least one parent who is a Haitian TPS holder). Communities would also bear the cost, as social service providers and school systems respond to displacement and uncertainty.
How are communities responding to a possible TPS termination for Haitian residents?
Many communities across the U.S. are committed to stepping in to support their Haitian neighbors should TPS protections end. Local communities, neighbors, and elected officials have mobilized. They have organized legal supports and resources in New York City; helped provide language, education, and health support in Springfield, OH; spoken out at public forums to support their Haitian neighbors in Columbus, OH and Fort Lauderdale, FL; passed policies to prioritize safety in the face of potential increased immigration enforcement in Springfield, OH; and established funding support for federal policy implications in Boston, MA.
Faith leaders, health experts, and elected officials in places like Miami, FL and East Orange, NJ have called for an extension of TPS for Haitians. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, a Republican, has repeatedly emphasized the devastating impacts of repealing TPS to Ohio and its economy. Additionally, a coalition of 18 attorneys general have joined an appeal to keep in place the pause on the Trump administration’s efforts to end TPS for Haitians. This is all in the face of a significant rise in harsh rhetoric toward the Haitian community, including during the 2024 campaign trail and by President Trump during his first administration — likely contributing to ongoing threats to those offering support, such as a pastor in Ohio and U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes who made the court ruling in February.
What happens next?
The lower court’s ruling did not change the terms of TPS holders’ status, nor does it end the legal fight. Even as the Supreme Court considers the case, for now, Haitian TPS holders remain protected, but until there is a final decision, the uncertainty persists, leaving families in a state of fear, uncertainty, and prolonged limbo.
This uncertainty also persists for TPS holders from other countries as pending court cases continue. On February 9, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals determined that the Trump administration could end TPS protections for approximately 60,000 TPS holders from Nepal, Honduras, and Nicaragua while the lawsuit continues. Those impacted must find another legal status if they want to work and remain in the U.S.
Anticipated appeals and continued threats to revoke TPS for other nationalities remain, leaving hundreds of thousands of people to face uncertainty and a looming risk of losing lawful status and work authorization.
While the outcome for Haitian TPS holders — and many others with TPS — is yet to be determined, the facts remain: Haitians with TPS have invested in their communities, planted roots, and enriched the cultural vibrancy of the country while also making crucial contributions to the workforce and economy. As eloquently said by a Haitian TPS recipient, Corinne, in a recent New Yorker article: “We are not a status. We are human beings.”
