The U.S. Supreme Court has terminated Temporary Protected Status for tens of thousands of Haitians and Syrians nationwide. Until the ruling, TPS gave about 330,000 Haitians and 6,000 Syrians nationwide a shield from deportation and access to work permits. Immigration practitioners must now advise affected clients on immediate exposure to deportation and the steps available to seek alternative status.
What changed
The Supreme Court heard arguments challenging the Department of Homeland Security’s termination of Temporary Protected Status for immigrants from Haiti and Syria, and ruled in favor of the administration’s authority to end the program. Work authorization and Ohio driver’s licenses for TPS holders are set to expire Wednesday, July 1—the same date the article was published.
About 30,000 Haitians with temporary status live in central Ohio and an estimated 12,000 to 15,000 Haitians call Springfield home, with a mixture of temporary protected status, citizenship and other legal statuses.
Why it matters
The termination creates immediate, cascading legal and practical harm for affected individuals. TPS holders will immediately lose their work authorization in most states, their access to driver’s licenses, and protection against deportation, and they could be put in removal proceedings and subject to deportation.
Immigration lawyers who work with companies advise employers to address the ruling, including finding potential employment-based pathways to legal status, before workers lose their permits. Fifty thousand U.S. citizen children have at least one parent who is a Haitian TPS holder; many of them have never been to Haiti and do not speak Haitian Creole, creating immediate custody and family-separation risks.
Practitioners should also note that the Trump administration put an indefinite freeze on processing all asylum applications at the end of 2025, narrowing the primary alternative route for TPS beneficiaries.
Way forward
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Consult an immigration attorney immediately. Licensed immigration lawyers can explore alternative pathways—including asylum applications (see below), cancellation of removal, family-based relief, and employment-based sponsorship.
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File asylum applications despite the freeze. “People should absolutely still apply for asylum if they’re afraid to live in Haiti,” said Katie Kersh, an attorney with ABLE Advocates for Basic Legal Equality in Dayton. Filing preserves the application record even if processing is frozen.
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Know your rights during enforcement encounters. Advocates nationwide urge people to know their rights during encounters with immigration enforcement officers, regardless of immigration status. The American Civil Liberties Union provides printable “Know Your Rights” cards in English, French, Creole, Arabic, and several other languages.
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Explore emergency relief and community resources. Central Ohio organizations that serve the local Haitian community include religious groups like the African & Haitian Ministry of the Diocese of Columbus and Jewish Family Services, as well as housing advocacy groups like Rentful 614. Springfield-area organizations include Haitian Support Center, Haitian Community Alliance, and G92.
Disclaimer
This article is not legal advice and does not constitute a consultation with a licensed immigration attorney. TPS termination involves complex family, criminal, and asylum law considerations; you must consult a qualified immigration practitioner to assess your individual case. Policy can change without notice, and this analysis reflects the state of the law on the publication date. Verify all information against the source links and official government guidance.