Supreme Court’s Decision on Temporary Protected Status Undermines National and Economic Interests

WASHINGTON, DC - The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) is deeply alarmed by the Supreme Court's refusal to preserve protections for individuals with Temporary Protected Status (TPS) despite the Administration's failure to follow proper procedures.

AILA President Jeff Joseph stated, "Temporary Protected Status exists because people cannot safely return home to countries that have been devastated by war, political instability, natural disasters, humanitarian crisis, and the collapse of essential infrastructure. Even the Department of State says that no part of Syria is safe, and has issued security advisories due to unrest in Haiti. Conditions are likely to remain so for the foreseeable future. Yet, the Supreme Court's decision today could force these individuals back to these devastating conditions in a matter of days. It also allows the Administration to arbitrarily terminate all other TPS designations with impunity going forward. There are more than a million people with TPS who are legally working and living in the United States. They are our neighbors, coworkers, business owners, healthcare workers, caregivers, parents, and community leaders. Many have built their lives in the United States, raised U.S. citizen children, purchased homes, started businesses, and contributed billions of dollars to our economy. We are also eliminating potentially hundreds of thousands of workers from our payrolls in jobs going unfilled by US workers. Today's decision is not merely a legal setback; it is a catastrophic loss."

Benjamin Johnson, AILA Executive Director, noted, "I want every member of Congress to look around their community and state, to listen to employers and residents about what harm will come if TPS holders are forced back to dangerous conditions and removed from the communities they have become integral to. A bipartisan majority in the House has already stood together to recognize the critical importance of TPS for Haiti and the Senate must do the same. More importantly, where a temporary solution is not realistic, Congress must step up and provide permanent residence for those who have for years resided lawfully in the United States in TPS status. On its path to end legal immigration, this Administration continues to weaponize every policy option they have to force immigrants into unlawful status and make them vulnerable to deportation. Congress must not allow this to continue; lawmakers must preserve lawful pathways, protect the rule of law, and provide long-time TPS holders the opportunity to remain here permanently."