Three immigrant advocacy organizations, represented by Lawyers for Civil Rights, filed a federal lawsuit on Monday to block the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian and Venezuelan immigrants announced by the administration of President Donald Trump last month.
The lawsuit, filed on behalf of the organizations Haitians Americans United, Inc. (HAU), the Venezuelan Association of Massachusetts (VAM), UndocuBlack Network (UBN), and four affected individuals, would be the first challenge of this kind regarding the cancellation of TPS protections for Haiti, according to Lawyers for Civil Rights. It is being presented in the federal district court in Boston, home to one of the largest Haitian populations in the country.
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TPS grants legal status to immigrants in the U.S. who can’t return to their countries because of natural disasters or political upheaval. It does not provide a path to citizenship.
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“TPS is a critical lifeline for immigrants who have fled extreme violence, political upheaval, and natural disasters in their home countries,” said Mirian Albert, Senior Attorney at Lawyers for Civil Rights, one of the attorneys for the plaintiffs. “The decision to undermine TPS for Haiti and Venezuela is driven by racial bias and has no basis in the realities these communities face. The Constitution prohibits government actions based on racial animus”.
Under the Biden administration, TPS for Haiti was extended, and it was granted to Venezuela for the first time, due to the ongoing crises in those countries, including violence, political instability, and economic collapse.
TPS protections for Haiti would expire on February 3, 2026, and for Venezuela on October 2, 2026. When President Trump entered his second term, he announced that he would accelerate those expiration dates to August 3, 2025, and April 2, 2025, respectively.
Immigrant advocates have raised their voices to warn that, with the revocation of TPS, tens of thousands of Haitian and Venezuelan immigrants would face deportation to countries still in crisis, and many of the beneficiaries have lived in the U.S. for years, contributing to the economy and raising children who are U.S. citizens.
“Cutting the TPS date for Haiti short will have significant implications for Haitian immigrants in the U.S. who depend on this status to avoid deportation and maintain legal work authorization,” said Dieufort J. Fleurissaint (Pastor Keke), Executive Director of HAU. He added, “the community is anxious about the sudden loss of legal status, the possibility of facing deportation to unstable conditions in Haiti, and potential difficulties in finding alternative legal pathways in the U.S.”
Carlos Martin Medina, leader of VAM, said that “revoking TPS would not only harm these hardworking families but also destabilize the communities they’ve helped to strengthen. We stand united with our Haitian brothers and sisters in this fight for justice, dignity, and the fundamental right to security and a future free from fear”.
“Our members have endured emotional, financial, and physical hardship due to the Trump administration’s cruel and unjust decision to prematurely end TPS for Haiti”, said Patrice Lawrance, Executive Director of UBN.
LCR and its partners are calling on the court to block the termination of TPS and protect the legal rights of thousands of immigrants who rely on this vital status.
