‘Don’t panic, mobilize instead,’ Haitian leaders urge after TPS Haitian ruling

Less than 48 hours after the U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way for the Trump administration to end Temporary Protected Status for Haitians, Haitian leaders across the country are trying to shift the community’s mood from panic to preparation.

The message from national advocacy groups and organizers on the ground is urgent but clear: do not make fear-based decisions. Prepare and pressure Congress.

“This is the time to show up,” said Guerline Jozef, executive director of the Haitian Bridge Alliance. “This is the time to call your senator.”

“I understand TPS holders are afraid to speak. But if you don’t speak, there will be no one coming to save you,” Jozef continued. “[We] need people of Haitian descent who are comfortable right now in the United States with their U.S. passport and citizenship to stand and make sure that they force their senators, their members of Congress, elected officials to support TPS for Haiti, to support a pathway to permanent residency.”

The High Court’s TPS decision Thursday affects more than 350,000 Haitians who have relied on TPS to live and work legally in the United States, according to advocates. According to Jozef, legal and advocacy groups have 32 days from the date of the ruling, June 25, to better understand what comes next, particularly regarding work permits, employer compliance and any updated federal guidance.

That includes pushing hard for the passage of Senate Bill S4814, which would provide a three-year extension of protections for Haitian TPS holders.

“The July 1 date is what DHS put in place anticipating a decision,” Jozef said, referring to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees immigration policy enforcement. 

“However, that does not mean on Tuesday, everybody loses everything.”

Fight mass confusion, fearmongering on rise

For many Haitian families, however, the ruling has triggered more confusion and uncertainty.

In Springfield, Ohio, where more than 10,000 Haitian newcomers have settled in recent years, community leader Vilès Dorsainvil said messages started coming in immediately to his organization, the Haitian Support Center.

“People are asking if they should keep going to work, if they should take their money out of the bank,” Dorsainvil said. “Some of them called me saying their employers told them not to come back after July 1 if they don’t have another authorization.”

Misinformation is one of the biggest dangers.

“There are people creating fear,” Dorsainvil said. “I told them don’t go get your money out of the bank. That is not helping.”

Both leaders warned that fear creates opportunities for exploitation. Jozef said that includes attorneys charging Haitian families tens of thousands of dollars for immigration cases they know are unlikely to succeed.

“We are warning those preying on the community,” Jozef said. “We will not allow them to abuse people while they are vulnerable.”

To mitigate the risks of being scammed out of fear, Jozef says the community can prepare against potential detention or deportation by using their toolkits. This means gathering immigration papers, obtaining or renewing passports of loved ones to travel if needed, assigning power of attorney to a trusted person with the TPS holder’s best interest at heart, making childcare plans and identifying who can manage rent, medical care and household needs in the event of detention.

Various preparation toolkits, a hotline and other resources are available through Haitian Bridge. Faith Action International also has scripts available to contact senators and representatives to demand they pass a path to permanent residency.

Time to put citizenship to use is now 

Over the next month, advocates urge community members of all status should also mobilize towards paths to permanent status. 

Jozef says the goal is simple: stop living from extension to extension.

“We don’t want to keep talking about temporary,” she said. “The lives of these people are not temporary.”

TPS holders can step forward to share their stories. U.S. citizens, particularly naturalized Haitian Americans, can step forward. 

“This is the moment to wave the flag to protect our brothers and sisters.”

The immediate legislative target is the Senate bill. Advocates say that extension could buy time to push for broader immigration reforms, including a registry bill that would open pathways to permanent residency.

And advocates say this fight extends beyond Haitians. The Supreme Court’s ruling also impacts Syrians and creates legal precedent for TPS terminations affecting 17 countries and roughly 1.3 million people.

They urge non-Haitians — anyone with a spouse, coworker, neighbor, church member or friend who is a TPS holder — to also act. 

“This is not just about Haitians,” Jozef said. “This is about protecting our communities.”

For Dorsainvil, the impact is already being felt.

He says if Haitians stop working or leave Springfield, local factories, grocery stores and the broader economy will feel it immediately.

“The Walmart, Kroger, all of them will be impacted,” he said, explaining that the community shops in those stores regularly. “Haitians are part of the community.”

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