U.S. employers are bracing for the loss of hundreds of thousands of workers after the Trump administration signaled that Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders from Haiti and six other nations will lose their legal authorization to work in a matter of weeks.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Friday temporarily extended work authorization for Haitians and other migrants covered by TPS just hours before permits were due to expire, averting an immediate employment cliff for tens of thousands of workers. The reprieve, however, is only temporary and comes as employers across industries continue dismissing workers whose legal status has lapsed or is expected to end.
The work permits of Haitians with TPS will now expire on July 24, while status holders from Ethiopia, Myanmar, Somalia, South Sudan, Syria and Yemen will lose their work permits on July 17, according to notices from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
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The developments have sparked panic for businesses that rely heavily on immigrant labor, particularly in healthcare, hospitality, construction, manufacturing and food processing.
The Washington Post reported that the administration’s decision to extend work permissions only hours before they were set to expire came too late for some businesses, which had already begun laying off employees in anticipation of the deadline.
Companies have expressed frustration over the lack of advance guidance, saying rapidly changing federal policies have made workforce planning increasingly difficult.
Supreme Court Decision Clears Way for TPS Changes
The latest developments follow a significant Supreme Court decision that allowed the Trump administration to move forward with ending TPS for hundreds of thousands of migrants while legal challenges continue in lower courts.
While the Supreme Court did not decide whether ending TPS is lawful, the justices granted the administration’s emergency request to pause a lower-court order that had temporarily blocked the policy from taking effect. That means the administration can implement its decision while litigation continues—a procedural ruling that could have immediate real-world consequences for migrants and employers alike.
The administration has argued that TPS was intended to be temporary and that conditions in several countries no longer justify continued protections. Immigrant advocacy groups, several states and affected migrants have challenged those determinations, arguing that the administration failed to follow federal administrative law and ignored ongoing humanitarian crises. The legal challenge continues in the federal courts.
What Is TPS?
TPS is a humanitarian immigration program created by Congress in 1990 that allows nationals of designated countries experiencing armed conflict, natural disasters or other extraordinary conditions to live and work legally in the United States for a limited period.
The program does not provide a pathway to permanent residency or U.S. citizenship. Instead, it grants eligible people protection from deportation and authorization to work while their home countries are considered unsafe for return.
DHS determines which countries qualify for TPS and periodically reviews whether those protections should be extended or terminated based on conditions in each nation.
More than 1 million people have been granted TPS or related humanitarian protections over the past several decades. Many recipients have lived in the United States for years, raising families, paying taxes and working in industries facing chronic labor shortages, including healthcare, construction, hospitality, manufacturing and food services.
Business Leaders, Unions Warn of Economic Fallout
Business organizations, labor unions and immigrant advocacy groups have warned that the administration’s decision to end work authorization for many TPS holders could have sweeping consequences for both workers and the U.S. economy.
Milton Jones, president of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, told Bloomberg that removing TPS holders from the workforce would place additional strain on industries that already face labor shortages, including meatpacking, food processing and grocery retail.
“The effects of this ruling will be felt by more than just those directly impacted—every worker, every community, and the entire economy will feel it,” Jones said in a statement.
Restaurant operators have also expressed concern about the pace of the policy changes. The National Restaurant Association this week urged Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin to provide a 90- to 120-day transition period for employers affected by expiring TPS work authorization and to issue clearer compliance guidance, arguing that businesses need time to adjust staffing and meet federal employment verification requirements.
Farah Larrieux, a Haitian TPS holder and business owner in Miramar, Florida, told Axios that returning to Haiti under current conditions would be “a death sentence.”
Meanwhile, the National TPS Alliance, which is challenging the Trump administration’s actions in court, warned that the Supreme Court’s decision to allow the policy to take effect while litigation continues “throws hundreds of thousands of people into uncertainty overnight.”
What Happens Next?
The underlying lawsuits challenging the administration’s TPS decisions will continue in the federal courts and could eventually return to the Supreme Court for a ruling on the merits. In the meantime, employers must continue complying with federal employment verification requirements while tracking changing guidance from DHS regarding work authorization documents.
Although Friday’s extension delayed an immediate employment cliff for many TPS beneficiaries, businesses remain concerned that thousands of legally employed migrant workers could still lose authorization to work later this month, barring additional court orders, administrative actions or congressional legislation.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Edward T. Cummins.
