Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell has joined a coalition of 15 other state attorneys general in submitting an amicus brief to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. The brief supports maintaining Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian and Venezuelan immigrants, many of whom have lived and worked in the United States for years.
The coalition’s filing urges the appeals court to uphold a lower court’s decision that found the federal government’s efforts to end TPS protections for these groups unlawful. The Trump Administration had attempted to terminate TPS designations for Haitians and Venezuelans, despite ongoing humanitarian crises in both countries and warnings from the U.S. State Department about safety conditions there. The Biden Administration later extended protections for those already residing in the United States.
The attorneys general argue that removing TPS would create widespread uncertainty and hardship for hundreds of thousands of people who fled violence and poverty. “If allowed to take effect, this termination of legal status would insight chaos and confusion for hundreds of thousands of people across the country – many of whom fled violence, oppression, and poverty to build a life in the United States. Without TPS, Haitian and Venezuelan immigrants will lose their work authorization and could face deportation, endangering themselves and their families,” according to the press release.
The coalition also contends that revoking TPS would disrupt local economies, public health, and public safety nationwide. They point out that many TPS holders are integrated into communities across the country with deep family ties: In 2022, approximately 54,000 U.S.-born children lived with a Venezuelan TPS holder, while about 87,000 U.S.-born children lived with a Haitian TPS holder.
Economic contributions by these populations are significant. Venezuelan TPS holders contribute over $11 billion annually to the national economy; Haitian TPS holders add $4.4 billion each year. Many Haitian immigrants participate in key sectors such as healthcare support and service industries.
Massachusetts is home to more than 15,000 Haitian TPS holders—one of the largest such populations in the nation—and some work within state agencies providing care for vulnerable residents. Removing their legal status could impact not only families but also essential services provided by these workers.
In recent months, AG Campbell has taken additional steps on this issue. In March she co-led a group supporting Haitian-Americans United’s challenge against early terminations of TPS protections by filing an amicus brief in federal court in Massachusetts. In September she co-led another coalition backing legal challenges against efforts to end Haiti’s TPS designation.
Other states joining Massachusetts include California, Colorado, Delaware, Hawai’i, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Vermont, Washington as well as the District of Columbia.
