New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is continuing to push back against the federal government's decision to terminate temporary protected status, or TPS, for hundreds of thousands of immigrants across the country.
Hochul sent a letter to U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin on Monday, Aug. 17, calling the Trump administration's decision to end TPS for several countries "reckless and inhumane." It "will force New York State and local governments to sever the employment of hundreds of essential employees as soon as next week, putting their livelihoods — and potentially their safety — at risk," she added.
TPS is granted to immigrants from nations deemed too dangerous to return to due to political upheaval and natural disasters.
The U.S. first granted TPS to Haiti in 2010 after a devastating earthquake and has renewed it ever since.
Thousands of Haitians with TPS currently reside in New York, and Hochul says the state's health care industry will be one of the hardest hit once their protections are lifted, adding that it's "not too late to reverse course."
"TPS exists precisely because people should not be forced back into danger," Hochul said. "No administration should knowingly send individuals back into harm's way when the law provides a clear path to protect them."
Here's the latest.
What is the latest with Haitians' temporary protected status?
A June U.S. Supreme Court ruling upheld President Donald Trump's TPS cancelation of nearly 350,000 Haitians nationwide after the administration asserted Haiti "no longer met the conditions for its designation for Temporary Protected Status."
Haitian advocates and political leaders say, however, that TPS designation is still warranted for the Caribbean island nation, which is so unsafe that the State Department uses its highest-level advisory to warn Americans against traveling there.
Haitians' TPS was initially expected to end on July 10, but a last minute delay by the Trump administration pushed the deadline to July 24. On July 29, the administration confirmed it was terminated as of July 27.
And while Rep. Mike Lawler, the Rockland County Republican who represents the county's Haitian community, took credit for the initial extension, attempts to further delay the termination have been so far unsuccessful. A federal bill introduced by Rep. Laura Gillen, who represents New York's 4th Congressional District, to extend Haitians' TPS for three years was stopped by a Senate vote on July 23.
"It is shameful that a single Senate Republican was able to block my legislation that already passed the House on a bipartisan basis to extend TPS for law-abiding Haitians," Gillen said in a statement.
"I have stood shoulder to shoulder with Long Island's Haitian community throughout this fight, and we won't back down now," she added.
New York nursing homes join push to restore TPS for Haitians
The New York State Health Facilities Association and New York State Center for Assisted Living, which represents many senior care facilities statewide, also posted on social media on Aug. 18 about it's letter urging the Trump administration to rethink TPS.
“New York has the highest share of immigrant direct care workers of any state, with 40,000 Haitian TPS holders—7,000 of whom work as nursing assistants and direct caregivers," Stephen Hanse, president and CEO of the NYSHFA | NYSCAL, said in the letter, as reported by New York Post.
“Any significant reduction in the available workforce would make it more difficult to serve current and new residents, causing a ripple effect that could overwhelm our local hospitals and the entire healthcare system,” Hanse added.
Contributing: USA TODAY Network- New York state team reporter Chris McKenna
Emily Barnes covers state government for the USA TODAY Network-New York with a focus on how policy and laws impact New Yorkers' taxes, communities and jobs. Follow her on Instagram or X @byemilybarnes. Get in touch at ebarnes@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Hochul says it's 'not too late to reverse course' on Haitian TPS end
