New York Attorney General Letitia James announced on Mar. 16 that she is leading a coalition of 18 other attorneys general in urging the United States Supreme Court to uphold legal protections for hundreds of thousands of Haitian immigrants. The coalition filed an amicus brief opposing the Trump administration’s request to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for more than 350,000 Haitians, following a lower court ruling that found the administration had violated the law in its attempt to terminate these protections.
The issue affects many families and communities across the country, as TPS allows Haitians who fled unsafe conditions after the 2010 earthquake to live and work legally in the United States. “Our nation was founded as a land of opportunity and refuge for those fleeing danger or instability,” said Attorney General James. “Now, the Trump administration seeks to break that promise and send thousands of hardworking immigrants back to a country facing extraordinary violence and instability. Our communities depend on, and are strengthened by, our immigrant neighbors. I am imploring the Supreme Court to do the right thing and protect these families from being needlessly torn apart.”
According to James and her colleagues, ending TPS would disrupt public health, safety, and local economies while forcing families into difficult decisions about whether to separate or face deportation together. As of 2022, over 200,000 U.S. citizens—including approximately 87,000 children—live with a Haitian TPS holder. In New York alone, at least 56,000 Haitian residents have TPS status; they contribute more than $140 million annually in state and local taxes and add over $800 million to New York’s economy.
James also said that losing work authorization could deprive many families of employer-sponsored health insurance and discourage them from seeking medical care or cooperating with law enforcement due to fear of separation or deportation.
The New York Attorney General promotes social justice through civil rights enforcement and consumer advocacy according to its official website. The office protects New Yorkers by ensuring public safety, defending civil rights, upholding consumer protections, preserving the environment according to its official website, operates through regional offices across the state according to its official website, provides services such as fraud investigations and tenant dispute mediation according to its official website, functions as a public law enforcement agency according to its official website, and is headed by Letitia James according to its official website.
James has previously led similar efforts defending TPS holders from Haiti as well as other countries such as Venezuela, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Nepal in various federal courts. She is joined in this latest action by attorneys general from California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, Nevada, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington State and the District of Columbia.
