James Fights Trump’s TPS Purge: 60,000 Lives on the Line

NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James is throwing down in a legal battle against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), accusing Secretary Kristi Noem of a callous and unlawful attempt to rip Temporary Protected Status (TPS) from over 60,000 immigrants from Honduras, Nepal, and Nicaragua. The move, James argues, isn’t just bad policy – it’s a calculated act of cruelty that will tear families apart and destabilize communities across the nation.

The fight centers around an amicus brief filed today in National TPS Alliance v. Noem, where James, alongside 13 other Attorneys General, is laying bare the devastating consequences of Noem’s decision. The TPS program, established by Congress in 1990, offers a lifeline to those fleeing unsafe conditions, allowing them to work and build lives here. Noem, however, is pulling the rug out from under these individuals, many of whom have been contributing to the U.S. for decades.

“Revoking TPS for 60,000 people will do nothing except cause chaos throughout New York and other states and stoke fear in immigrant communities,” James stated bluntly. “By eliminating their legal status, this administration is putting thousands of New Yorkers in danger and breaking up families across the country.” The terminations target Nepali immigrants who’ve been here since the 2015 earthquakes, as well as those from Honduras and Nicaragua, some of whom arrived after Hurricane Mitch in 1999 – over 25 years ago.

The numbers paint a grim picture. Approximately 7,200 Nepali immigrants, 51,000 Honduran, and 2,900 Nicaraguan immigrants are facing deportation back to countries riddled with instability and danger. Even more chilling, over 100,000 U.S. citizens are living in households with TPS holders, facing the prospect of family separation. They’re being forced to choose between returning to a dangerous homeland alone, taking their U.S. citizen family members with them, or living in the shadows, vulnerable to deportation at any moment.

New York, a haven for approximately 56,800 TPS holders from all countries, will bear a significant brunt of the damage, particularly in Queens County, home to a large Nepali population. James and her fellow Attorneys General are arguing that these individuals aren’t just surviving here – they’re thriving, contributing significantly to the economy and workforce. Stripping them of their legal status is a self-inflicted wound, they contend.

The coalition is demanding immediate preliminary relief from the court, a postponement of these terminations. They’re not asking for charity, they’re demanding justice and a halt to what they see as a politically motivated attack on vulnerable communities. The stakes are high – the lives and livelihoods of 60,000 people hang in the balance, and the ripple effects will be felt across the nation for years to come. Joining Attorney General James in this fight are…