Attorney General James Takes Action to Protect Haitian Immigrants

NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James co-led a coalition of 18 attorneys general in defending the legal status of over 250,000 Haitian immigrants currently living in the United States after fleeing dangerous conditions in their home country. In an amicus brief filed in a case brought by a group of Haitian immigrants in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, the coalition argues that the federal administration’s moves to revoke Temporary Protected Status (TPS) from Haitian immigrants are illegal and will endanger hundreds of thousands of people throughout the country. Attorney General James and the coalition are urging the court to grant the plaintiffs’ request to postpone the termination of TPS.

“Haitian immigrants are a valuable part of our communities and local economies, helping make New York and this nation what they are today,” said Attorney General James. “This administration’s attempt to revoke their legal status would put hundreds of thousands of people in danger and threaten to tear apart families. I will continue to fight to protect TPS so Haitians who came to our country to build a better life can continue to pursue the American dream.”

Following a devastating earthquake in 2010, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) designated Haiti for TPS protection and extended this protection in the years since, most recently in 2024. Despite unsafe conditions and political instability in Haiti, the administration has moved to end protections for TPS holders, jeopardizing the safety of over 250,000 Haitian immigrants, including at least 56,000 living in New York.

As of 2022, over 200,000 U.S. citizens, including approximately 87,000 children, were living with a Haitian TPS holder. As Attorney General James and the coalition argue, revoking TPS from Haitian immigrants puts hundreds of thousands of families like these in an impossible position. Parents with TPS would be forced to either leave their children behind and return to Haiti, take their U.S. citizen children with them to an unfamiliar and dangerous country, or remain in the U.S. without authorization and subject their family to continuous fear and uncertainty.

Attorney General James and the coalition assert that terminating TPS would inflict significant harm on communities throughout the country, jeopardizing local economies, public health, and public safety. Haitians are critical members of New York’s workforce, filling essential roles in healthcare, education, construction, and other industries. TPS-eligible Haitians contribute $4.4 billion annually to the U.S. economy, and ending their legal status would revoke their work permits, harming local economies and making it harder for families to make ends meet. Ending work authorizations would also deprive many of these families of their access to health insurance, making it harder for vulnerable people to get care and increasing public health risks. Fears of deportation and family separation would dissuade Haitian immigrants from reporting crimes, serving as witnesses, and interacting with law enforcement. Children living with Haitian TPS-holders would be more likely to miss school and suffer trauma from living in fear of having a parent deported.

Attorney General James and the coalition argue that the administration’s actions to terminate TPS are arbitrary, discriminatory, and unconstitutional, and are urging the court to grant the plaintiffs’ motion to stay the termination of TPS for Haitians. Joining Attorney General James in filing the brief are the attorneys general of California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and the District of Columbia.