SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that the Trump administration can end Temporary Protected Status for roughly 350,000 Haitians and about 6,000 Syrians in the United States.
The 6-3 ruling allows the administration to strip the legal protection that lets people from countries facing ongoing conflict or natural disasters stay in the country temporarily. TPS is not a path to citizenship.
Without the protected status, Haitians and Syrians would be subject to deportation and would lose their work permits.
Pastor Jean Elise of the Haitian Ministry of San Diego knows Haitians with TPS. He called the decision a blow to people who came to the U.S. seeking stability.
"This is a sad news for the community," Pastor Elise said.
"We come here looking for a better life. We came here for a better life, and we try to contribute to the American dream," Elise said.
"We work, we contribute to the American dream. So it is a sad day not only for the Haitians, for the United States because we're gonna lose a lot of hard workers," Elise said.
Elise said returning to Haiti or Syria is not safe, noting both countries have dealt with political turmoil for decades.
"Especially Haiti, it's unstable for a long time, and that's why most of the young families try to leave to looking for a safe place," Elise said.
In a statement, the White House called the ruling a "tremendous win," adding that it "affirmed what President Trump has always maintained: temporary protected status is, by definition, temporary."
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