Attorney General James Calls on Congress to Protect TPS Holders

NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James today joined a coalition of 18 other attorneys general urging Congress to extend Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians and pass legislation to allow for judicial oversight of TPS decisions to ensure TPS holders are not subject to illegal deportations. In June, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Trump administration could move forward with stripping TPS from hundreds of thousands of Haitian and Syrian immigrants. The decision threatens the nearly 350,000 Haitians who have spent years living, working, and raising their families in the U.S., particularly in New York, which is home to one of the nation’s largest Haitian communities. The Supreme Court’s decision also makes it significantly more difficult to challenge TPS terminations in court, threatening these protections for other vulnerable immigrants nationwide. In a letter to Congressional leadership, Attorney General James and the coalition urge Congress to pass legislation requiring judicial oversight of TPS decisions and extending TPS for Haitian immigrants who are facing deportation.

“This administration’s attempt to claw back protections for hundreds of thousands of immigrants living and working across the United States has caused untold chaos and confusion,” said Attorney General James. “All across our country, Haitian TPS holders have raised families, started businesses, and made valuable contributions to our economy. TPS was intended to help those who cannot safely return to their home country, and I urge Congress to strengthen our laws to protect TPS holders.”

The U.S. has a long history of providing a safe haven to those who flee armed conflict, natural disasters, and repressive conditions. Haitian immigrants were granted TPS protection in 2010 after a deadly earthquake. These protections have been extended over the last 16 years as the country faced additional natural disasters, political turmoil, and public health outbreaks. As Attorney General James and the coalition explain in their letter, Haitian TPS recipients make invaluable contributions to the communities and economies where they live. Haitians fill critical health care jobs and contribute an estimated $5.9 billion to the U.S. economy annually and pay approximately $1.6 billion in taxes. 

In June, the U.S. Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration to revoke TPS from hundreds of thousands of Haitian and Syrian immigrants. The decision also prohibited courts from reviewing certain challenges to TPS terminations. In their letter to Congress, Attorney General James and the coalition emphasize that the violent and unstable conditions in Haiti clearly meet the requirements for TPS protections, and that hundreds of thousands of lives will be uprooted if Congress fails to act. Revoking TPS for Haitians will jeopardize the safety, health, and economic wellbeing of communities throughout the country and cause chaos for families who have been living and working in the United States for years. The House has already passed a bill to extend TPS to Haitians, and the coalition is urging the Senate to do the same.

Attorney General James and the coalition also argue that preventing courts from reviewing legal challenges to sudden terminations of TPS threatens abuses of power. Attorney General James and the coalition urge Congress to pass legislation that allows judicial oversight and pathways to legal residency for TPS holders. Judicial oversight would provide a needed check on the executive branch and ensure that TPS holders are not subject to illegal deportations.

Joining Attorney General James in sending this letter are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and the District of Columbia.

Attorney General James has consistently taken action to defend TPS from the Trump administration’s unlawful attacks. In April, Attorney General James co-led a coalition of 18 other attorneys general urging the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold the legal status of hundreds of thousands of Haitian and Syrian immigrants. In March, Attorney General James co-led a coalition of 18 other attorneys general in urging the Supreme Court to uphold TPS for Haitians. In February, Attorney General James co-led a coalition of 17 other 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 November 2025, Attorney General James led 15 other attorneys general in filing an amicus brief to defend TPS for Haitian and Venezuelan immigrants. In July 2025, Attorney General James co-led a coalition of 14 other attorneys general in filing an amicus brief defending TPS for immigrants from Honduras, Nicaragua, and Nepal.