TPS Termination Will Disrupt Communities Across America and Upend the Lives of Thousands of U.S. Citizen Children

WASHINGTON—A federal appeals court has ruled today that the Trump administration’s termination of Temporary Protected Status for hundreds of thousands of people living in the United States can continue.

The court’s decision allows the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to terminate the TPS designations for people from El Salvador, Haiti, Nicaragua and Sudan whose countries are experiencing armed conflict, environmental disasters, or extraordinary conditions. The court’s decision means that 273,000 U.S. citizen children who have parents with TPS could face separation, more than 130,000 essential workers will lose their immigration status, and communities across America will be disrupted.

The following statement is from Beth Werlin, executive director of the American Immigration Council:

“TPS holders have been in the United States for years, often decades, and they have exceptional ties to our communities. They are parents to thousands of U.S. citizen children, and many of them work in critical fields. Today’s decision will plunge their lives into further turmoil at a time when we all need greater certainty. TPS recipients need a permanent solution that will allow them to live and work in the United States without the constant threat of deportation.

“In its ongoing effort to drive immigrants from the United States, the Trump administration blatantly ignored current conditions in TPS-designated countries to justify its decisions to terminate these protections. We are disappointed that the court refused to acknowledge the racist origins of President Trump’s remarks and the direct connection to the administration’s TPS terminations. The racial animus that led to these decisions is real and cannot be ignored.

“No one gains when we revoke lawful status from people who have lived here, paid taxes, and contributed to their communities for decades. If the Trump administration won’t protect these long-term members of our communities, Congress must.”