Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, representing Massachusetts and a member of the “Squad,” emphasized the crucial role that Haitian TPS holders play in their communities and local economies, advocating for the continuation of Temporary Protected Status for Haiti.
Pressley posted on X:
Pressley expressed her views through a video message, highlighting the significance of this issue.
Her statements emerge as the Supreme Court is set to deliberate in late April on whether the Trump administration can revoke TPS for approximately 350,000 Haitians and over 6,000 Syrians, following interventions by lower courts that prevented the action.
According to a report by the New York Times in January, at least 50,000 individuals with TPS hold positions in healthcare, with Haitians occupying around 111,000 healthcare jobs across the U.S. as of 2023.
The report specifically pointed out Springfield, Ohio, as home to over 10,000 Haitians who have recently settled and now work in various sectors including hospitals, clinics, warehouses, and factories.
The New York Times further noted concerns from nursing homes and senior care facilities in states with significant Haitian populations, such as Florida, New York, and Massachusetts, about potentially losing long-term employees if TPS is discontinued.
If TPS is terminated, the damage will be immediate.
This isn’t just a labor issue. It’s a supply chain issue that hits consumers, small businesses and local economies all at once. When those workers disappear, the food chain doesn’t bend, it snaps. This is a humanitarian issue, and it’s also an economic one. You cannot remove a vital workforce and expect small businesses or communities to survive the shock.
Pressley’s comments come as the Supreme Court prepares to hear arguments in late April over whether the Trump administration can end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for about 350,000 Haitians and more than 6,000 Syrians after lower courts blocked the move.
A January report by the New York Times said at least 50,000 migrants with protected status work in health care, and that Haitians held about 111,000 health care jobs in the United States in 2023.
The report highlighted Springfield, Ohio, where more than 10,000 Haitians have settled in recent years and where Haitian migrants work in hospitals, clinics, warehouses, and factories.
The New York Times also reported that nursing homes and senior care centers in states with large Haitian populations, including Florida, New York, and Massachusetts, have warned that they could lose longtime workers if TPS is terminated.
According to the State Department’s 2024 Trafficking in Persons Report cited by – News, about 3,000 Haitian police officers departed Haiti since 2022, with the majority anecdotally leaving through the U.S. government’s visa processes for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans, and the humanitarian parole program that included Haitians beginning in January 2023.
– News also referenced a Miami Herald report stating that an estimated 30 percent of Haiti’s teachers have migrated to the United States and elsewhere. Gang violence and political instability in Haiti have fueled the broader “brain drain” described by – News.
