Work permits extended for Haitians, other immigrants with temporary protected status
Future of TPS uncertain for Haitian and Syrian migrants
The Supreme Court's ruling on TPS last week has left thousands of Haitian and Syrian migrants uncertain on their protected status in the United States. Professor Douglas Becker of the University of Southern California joined Adam Llorens on LiveNOW from FOX to break it all down.
The Trump administration has extended work permits for immigrants with temporary protected status from Haiti and six other countries.
According to Reuters, the Trump administration granted the extensions just hours before they were set to expire.
Work permits extended
What we know:
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services said work permits for Haitians with temporary protected status will expire on July 24.
Permits for immigrants from Ethiopia, Syria, Somalia, Yemen, South Sudan and Myanmar will expire in a week.
What we don't know:
It’s unclear why the Trump administration decided to extend the work permits, or why Haitians got more time than other countries.
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What is temporary protected status?
The backstory:
Temporary protected status was created by Congress in 1990 to prevent deportations to countries suffering from natural disasters or civil strife. When President Donald Trump took office, Venezuelans comprised the largest group of beneficiaries, followed by Haitians and Salvadorans.
FILE: Yronel Cabrera walks with protesters during a candlelight vigil and interfaith prayer at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Jan. 28, calling on the Trump administration to extend Temporary Protected Status for Haiti. (Al Diaz/Mi
TPS protections are available only to people who have been continuously present in the U.S. since the date of designation. The Department of Homeland Security can extend it in increments of up to 18 months.
Why did Trump end temporary protected status for immigrants?
Dig deeper:
Trump has sought to end temporary protected status as part of his aggressive immigration crackdown and push for deportations.
Trump’s government has ended TPS for about 1 million people from 13 countries, including about 650,000 from Venezuela and 50,000 from Honduras. Decisions are looming for about 200,000 Salvadorans and 100,000 Ukrainians whose protections expire soon.
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Other countries with smaller numbers include Afghanistan, Myanmar, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Lebanon, Nicaragua, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen.
The Supreme Court ruled last month that the Trump administration can end TPS for Haitians and Syrians, exposing hundreds of thousands more people to potential deportation.
What they're saying:
The Trump administration has argued that immigrants were poorly vetted after former President Joe Biden’s Democratic administration dramatically expanded the designation, and says countries are safe for return.
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The other side: Immigration advocates and labor groups have asked for work permit extensions to prevent "chaos in workplaces and disrupt key industries."
Lawyers said Haitian immigrants would be in danger if they are sent back.
"Simply put, the Supreme Court’s ruling will directly result in thousands of innocent people dying violent, needless deaths," Geoff Pipoly and Andy Tauber said.
The Source: This report includes information from Reuters and The Associated Press.