James Defends Haitian and Venezuelan Immigrants TPS

NUEVA YORK – In a fierce stand against governmental overreach, New York State’s Attorney General Letitia James has led a coalition of 15 other attorneys general in defending the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for hundreds of thousands of Haitian and Venezuelan immigrants. The AGs have filed an amicus curiae brief before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, arguing against the illegal termination of the TPS program by the administration.

“The Haitians and Venezuelans with Temporary Protected Status are making significant contributions to our communities by starting businesses, forming families, and attending our schools,” declared AG James. “This cruel attempt by the administration to abruptly end their legal status will put at risk the lives of hundreds of thousands of immigrants who fled violence and oppression to build a better life in this country. I will continue fighting to protect the rights of our immigrant communities.”

Despite ongoing humanitarian crises in Haiti and Venezuela, and warnings from the U.S. Department of State about safety in both countries, the Trump administration sought to revoke the TPS status for Haitian and Venezuelan immigrants shortly after the Biden administration extended it. Allowing this abrupt termination would cause chaos and confusion for hundreds of thousands of people across the nation, many who fled violence, oppression, and poverty to build a life in the United States.

AG James and the coalition argue that the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California correctly ruled that the government’s action was arbitrary, capricious, and illegal. The revocation of TPS would cause significant economic, public health, and public safety disruptions in communities nationwide.

In their brief, AG James and the coalition assert that hundreds of thousands of U.S. citizens who live with a TPS beneficiary of Haitian or Venezuelan origin are at risk. In 2022, approximately 54,000 children and 80,000 adults were living with a Venezuelan TPS beneficiary, while nearly 87,000 children and 116,000 adults lived with a Haitian TPS beneficiary. If the government succeeds in revoking TPS, parents would face an impossible choice: return to their country of origin and leave behind their families, take their U.S.-born children to a dangerous unknown land, or remain in the United States without legal status, living in fear, uncertainty, and risking deportation at any moment.

AG James and the coalition also highlight the significant economic contributions of TPS beneficiaries from Haiti and Venezuela. Nationally, Venezuelan TPS beneficiaries contribute over $11 billion to the economy each year. Haitian TPS beneficiaries add $4.4 billion annually. In New York alone, households with TPS earned $2.3 billion in income and paid $348.9 million in federal taxes.