Mamdani touts ‘immense importance’ of Haitians to economy, urges Trump to extend TPS protections
TheGrio...
The NYC mayor warned that ending protections is affecting Haitian New Yorkers, city workers and the broader economy.
The effects of the Trump Administration‘s decision to halt Temporary Protection Status (TPS) for more than 300,000 Haitian nationals in the United States have been felt in communities across the country. On Monday, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani made a direct call to President Trump, urging him to restore those protections, citing the city’s economy and Haitians’ role in the city’s broader welfare.
“I spoke with the president and made it very clear that this is something of immense importance to this city, to our economy, and to the welfare of all those who call the city home,” Mamdani said during a press conference. “And also that the president is the only person that has the authority to extend TPS or to grant the deferred enforcement departure.”
In NYC, dozens of city workers who were protected under TPS learned they were losing their jobs following the Supreme Court’s decision in June. The legal work permits for those individuals expired on July 24. On Friday, Mamdani stated that the White House pointed City Hall to “review the work authorization of Haitian TPS holders and separate from any employees who have not established alternative paths to legal work.”
Mamdani reiterated during his press conference that the city and its leadership could not defy the newly established federal law, adding that if the city determined that it waited any longer to defy the law and lay off those workers, it could become a longstanding problem for those workers to stay in the city.
“We are only taking the actions that we are forced to take when it comes to what we want to see in this city and in this country,” he said.
In various scenes across the country, Haitians who saw their status expire under the Supreme Court ruling have endured new difficulties. In Ohio, individuals who were at immigration appointments reportedly left wearing ankle monitors. Critics called the move “modern-day shackling.” In Miami, a Haitian business owner who voted for Trump in 2024 told CBS Evening News that he stood to lose two of his businesses under the ruling and that his entire management staff had left.
The administration has made ending the TPS program a hallmark of its immigration work, continuing to eliminate status for nationals of specific countries across the board, with Haitians long being a target since Trump was re-elected. To date, only seven countries currently have active Temporary Protection Status: El Salvador, Ethiopia, Lebanon, Somalia, Sudan, Ukraine and Venezuela.
The State Department has warned Americans to avoid traveling to Haiti, which is currently on high alert. For Haitians who have lost TPS status, it means potentially being in legal limbo or returning to Haiti, where the country has been under instability due to violence.
“For us in this moment to tell Haitian New Yorkers who have made the city their life for years that they have to go back to that. It is terrifying to imagine what might be waiting for them,” Mamdani said.