Attorney General Tong Urges Supreme Court to Preserve Temporary Protected Status for Haitians and Syrians

Press Releases

04/13/2026

Attorney General Tong Urges Supreme Court to Preserve Temporary Protected Status for Haitians and Syrians

(Hartford, CT) - Attorney General William Tong today joined a coalition of 19 attorneys general in filing an amicus brief in Trump v. Miot and Mullin v. Doe in the Supreme Court of the United States, in support of a challenge to the Trump Administration's termination of Haiti's and Syria's Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designations.

"I am the son of immigrants and have seen firsthand how immigrant families power our communities and our economy. Stripping Temporary Protected Status would force people back into dangerous conditions, disrupt critical sectors in our workforce, and cause lasting harm to families and communities across this country. We are urging the Supreme Court to keep these protections in place," said Attorney General Tong.

TPS is a humanitarian immigration status created by Congress to protect foreign nationals who cannot safely return to their home country because of war, natural disaster, or other extraordinary conditions. TPS allows recipients to live and work in the United States as long as their home country has a TPS designation.

Haitian immigrants have been eligible for TPS since 2010, when a devastating earthquake hit the country. The protections have repeatedly been extended due to unsafe conditions in Haiti, including widespread violence, homelessness, and starvation. Syrian immigrants have been eligible for TPS since 2012, when a violent civil war broke out. The protections have been extended multiple times due to the ongoing conflict that continues to cause food insecurity, limited access to health care and clean water, and an increased risk of violence against civilians.

The Trump Administration attempted to abruptly terminate TPS for Haitians and Syrians in November 2025, without any evidence that the dangerous conditions in the countries had improved and despite the fact that the U.S. State Department continues to classify both nations as "Level 4: Do Not Travel" countries-its highest risk designation. In February 2026, courts preserved protections for Haitian and Syrian TPS holders while the litigation over the lawfulness of the termination continues. In March 2026, the Supreme Court agreed to hear both cases. The Court deferred ruling on the Trump Administration's request to allow the terminations to take effect immediately until a decision could be made on the merits of the cases.

In today's brief, Attorney General Tong and the coalition urge the Supreme Court to preserve the block on the Trump Administration's termination, arguing that termination of TPS for Haitians and Syrians would separate families, damage economies, deplete workforces, increase health care costs, and harm public health and safety.

Across states, thousands of TPS recipients provide important public services as health care providers, teachers, entrepreneurs, construction workers, and more. Hundreds of thousands of TPS-eligible Haitians work in labor-short industries, and Syrian immigrants own businesses at more than triple the rate of U.S. citizens by birth. Together, TPS-eligible Haitians and Syrians contribute more than $3.5 billion annually to the U.S. economy.

Attorney General Tong has previously taken action to defend TPS from the Trump administration's unlawful attacks. In March, Attorney General Tong joined a coalition of attorneys general in urging the Supreme Court to uphold TPS for Haitians. In February, Attorney General Tong joined a coalition of attorneys general in filing an amicus brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia in support of TPS for Haitians. In July 2025, Attorney General Tong joined a coalition of attorneys general in filing an amicus brief defending TPS for immigrants from Honduras, Nicaragua, and Nepal.

In submitting their brief, Attorney General Tong and the coalition are asking the Supreme Court to affirm the lower court orders temporarily blocking termination of TPS for Haiti and Syria.

Joining Attorney General Tong in submitting this brief, are the attorneys general of California, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaiʻi, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Virginia, Vermont, and Washington.

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