Former Ohio AGs urge Supreme Court to preserve Haitian immigration protections
Bipartisan group warns Supreme Court that ending protections for 14,000 Haitians would harm Ohio’s economy as justices prepare to hear arguments next week.
COLUMBUS, OHIO — A bipartisan group of former Ohio attorneys general filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court this week, urging justices to reject the Trump administration’s attempt to terminate temporary protected status for Haitian immigrants.
The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments next week on two cases dealing with temporary protected status granted to Syrian and Haitian immigrants. The cases could affect thousands of immigrants across the country, including Haitian residents in cities like Springfield, Ohio.
Economic Impact Cited
The former Ohio attorneys general warned that eliminating the protections would cause significant harm to the state. “Fully revoking TPS — which would uproot more than 14,000 people across Ohio — would irreparably harm the state and wipe out economic gains that have spread throughout the community,” they wrote in their brief.
The filing comes as Congress separately considers legislation to extend protections for Haitian immigrants. Last week, the U.S. House approved a bill that would provide a three-year extension of TPS protections for Haitian immigrants, sending the measure to the U.S. Senate.
Congressional Support Emerges
Several Republican U.S. House members signed onto a discharge petition that forced the House vote on the extension bill. The legislation would affect approximately 350,000 Haitians nationwide who currently hold temporary protected status.
The Supreme Court case stems from actions taken last year by then-Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, who attempted to terminate immigration protections and work authorizations for immigrants from multiple countries.
Previous Policy Changes
Noem’s department rescinded protections for immigrants from several nations, including Somalia, Nepal, Burma, Honduras, Nicaragua, Ethiopia, South Sudan and Venezuela. When she rescinded protections for Haitian immigrants last June, a DHS spokesperson said the decision “restores integrity in our immigration system and ensures that Temporary Protective Status is ac[curate].”
The temporary protected status program provides relief from deportation and work authorization for immigrants from countries experiencing ongoing armed conflict, environmental disasters, or other extraordinary circumstances that make return unsafe.
Ohio has become home to thousands of Haitian immigrants who received temporary protected status, with notable communities in Springfield and other cities across the state. The former attorneys general’s brief emphasizes the economic contributions these immigrants have made to their local communities.
