Supreme Court ruling could impact 45,000 Haitians in Massachusetts: "Families divided and ripped apart"
On Thursday, the Supreme Court ruled that President Trump has the legal authority to end Temporary Protected Status for immigrants from Haiti and Syria in the U.S.
The program launched in 1990 under then President George H.W. Bush and has been the law for 36 years.
It's unclear if the program will end immediately, but it will undoubtedly impact Massachusetts' families and economy, according to local immigration advocates.
45,000 Haitians in Massachusetts under TPS
Roughly 45,000 Haitians are estimated to be in Massachusetts under Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, according to the state.
"Something really bad happened this morning," Governor Healey told a solemn crowd rallying outside the State House on Thursday, saying the Supreme Court "basically rubber stamped what has been a cruel and callous approach to immigration."
"This is a time for all of us to raise our voices and to say, 'this country is also our country, is also the country of immigrants because we are the ones who built it,'" said Dr. Geralde Gabeau, the president of the Immigrant Family Services Institute. Gabeau, a Haitian immigrant herself, was met with roaring applause.
It's unclear exactly what the next steps will be if TPS is ended, but it will impact the ability for people who had TPS to work in the U.S. They could also potentially be deported, despite having previous legal status here and no criminal background.
They've "put down roots in our community," explained Jeffrey Thielman, the President and CEO of the International Institute of New England, which helps immigrants in Massachusetts get their papers in order. These people "have businesses, have jobs, have children, grandchildren," he explained.
"You're going to see families divided and ripped apart," Thielman added, noting that some Haitians under TPS could be deported while their American-born children stay in the U.S. "That's going to be heartbreaking," he said.
Economic impacts of ruling
It could also have grave economic impacts, others warn.
Roughly 1,500 nursing home employees in the state are Haitians under TPS, according to the state's website.
Chris White, who runs Road to Responsibility, a program to care for disabled adults, has seen the effects firsthand already. His company lost 102 Haitian workers since May 2025 due to changing immigration laws, and with the recent ruling, is poised to lose another 28.
"It's a very difficult situation, and for us, it's a real budget buster, too," White said. "This is going to result in a massive spike in overtime costs and relief staffing agency costs."
Plus, Road to Responsibility can't find American citizens interested in filling these vacancies. "It's nonsense, to be honest with you," White said. "We're not getting a lot of applicants, from anywhere, let alone from, you know, U.S.-born citizens."
It's unclear what the next steps are for the program. State officials encouraged anyone who is concerned about their immigration status to seek out a lawyer and resources on the state's website.
