The Trump administration extended work permits this Friday, just hours before they were set to expire, for hundreds of thousands of immigrants with humanitarian protections from Haiti and six other countries.
The expiration of work authorization could result in the loss of jobs and income for hundreds of thousands of immigrants who have lived and worked legally in the United States for years under Temporary Protected Status (TPS). The termination comes after the Supreme Court ruled last month to allow President Donald Trump's administration to revoke humanitarian protections for up to 1.3 million immigrants, which could lead to deportations in the coming weeks.
Work permits for Haitians with temporary humanitarian protections will now expire on July 24, according to an update from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Permits for TPS holders from Myanmar, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Syria, Yemen, and Somalia will expire next Friday.
Industries ranging from nursing homes and hospitals to schools and airports—which employ workers with these protections—are mobilizing and appealing behind the scenes to the Trump administration for relief. Some employers had already begun laying off TPS holders before today, according to labor organizations and unions.
“There is a lot of confusion,” said Margarette Nerette, a leader with 1199SEIU, Florida's largest union of healthcare professionals, which represents hundreds of TPS holders from Haiti. “We are hardworking people, and they are treating us like garbage,” she added.
Source: Washington Post
