Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell has co-led a coalition of 18 attorneys general in filing an amicus brief in the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. The brief opposes efforts by the Trump Administration to overturn a lower court’s decision that postponed the termination of Haiti’s Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation.
“The District Court rightly halted the Trump Administration’s attempt to strip legal immigration status from hundreds of thousands of hardworking Haitian immigrants in the United States, and I urge the Court of Appeals to affirm that decision,” said AG Campbell. “Haitians are essential to the fabric of our communities, contributing every day as neighbors, workers, caregivers and leaders. I will continue to fight for them and any other immigrant group that this Administration chooses to unlawfully and cruelly target.”
TPS is a humanitarian status created by Congress for foreign nationals who cannot safely return home due to war, disaster, or other serious conditions. Haitians have qualified for TPS since 2010 following a major earthquake. Extensions have continued due to ongoing instability in Haiti.
On November 28, 2025, the Trump Administration announced plans to end Haiti’s TPS status effective February 3, 2026. This was done despite continued warnings from U.S. officials about dangerous conditions in Haiti and its classification as a “Level 4: Do Not Travel” country by the U.S. State Department—the highest risk level.
A federal judge issued an order on February 2, 2026, staying the administration’s move just before it was set to take effect. The order allows Haitians with TPS protections to remain while litigation continues over whether ending TPS is lawful. On February 6, 2026, federal officials appealed this ruling and requested permission from the appeals court to proceed with terminating TPS for Haitians.
The coalition argues that removing TPS would break up families, harm state economies and workforces, increase healthcare costs, and negatively affect public health and safety across several states where Haitian immigrants fill vital roles such as healthcare providers and teachers.
Haitian immigrants eligible for TPS contribute significantly to both local communities and national economic activity; they added $3.4 billion annually to the U.S economy according to recent data. In Massachusetts alone—a state with one of America’s largest Haitian populations—many serve as caregivers through agencies like Massachusetts’s Department of Developmental Services.
AG Campbell led this effort alongside attorneys general from California and New York; additional support came from Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawai‘i, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington.
The coalition requests that the appeals court deny efforts by federal authorities seeking immediate termination of Haitian TPS while related legal proceedings are still pending.
