Supreme Court Decision Triggers Loss of TPS Work Permits for Hundreds of Thousands of Immigrants

A Supreme Court ruling issued last month cleared the way for the administration to terminate the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program, which has allowed people from crisis-affected countries to live and work legally in the United States. The decision means that roughly 350,000 TPS recipients from Haiti and several other nations will lose their work authorizations on Monday, and about 190,000 Salvadoran holders could face the same outcome in September.

Immigration officials are preparing enforcement actions as the permits expire. Reports indicate that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) plans sweeps in locations such as Springfield, Ohio, where many Haitian TPS recipients reside.

Business groups, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, have urged Congress to intervene, warning that the removal of a large share of the workforce—about 70% of TPS holders are employed, many in construction and health care—could disrupt local economies and essential services. Some Republican officials, such as Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, have expressed opposition to ending TPS for Haitians, while others, including Senator Eric Schmitt of Missouri and certain conservative organizations, argue that the program has exceeded its original emergency purpose.

TPS was created in 1990 under President George H.W. Bush to provide temporary protection for foreign nationals fleeing war or natural disasters, allowing them to remain in the United States until conditions improve.