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Broad Group of Massachusetts-Based Organizations Decry Unprincipled, Dangerous US Supreme Court Termination of Haitian TPS
Rally today at 4:30 at State House
June 25, 2026
For Media Inquiries: Cecilia Needham, Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti, media@ijdh.org, 303-641-7532
A collection of organizations representing Haitian-American, faith and civil rights communities are expressing their outrage at today’s US Supreme Court decision that terminates Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for over 350,000 Haitians including over 22,000 Haitian TPS holders in Massachusetts.
The decision ends employment status for over 200,000 valued workers nationwide, and exposes families who have legally worked, studied, prayed and contributed to communities across Massachusetts and the US for years to the abuses of the US deportation system and forced return to one of the world’s most dangerous and hungry countries.
The organizations will provide additional perspectives during a rally at 4:30 on Thursday June 25, in front of the Massachusetts State House.
“This decision is dangerous. It is a devastating blow to families, workers, and entire communities. Parents face separation from their children and workers face losing their jobs and livelihoods,” said Ruthzee Louijeune, Boston City Councilor At-Large. “Haitian TPS holders are essential members of our workforce, serving as healthcare professionals, home health aides, childcare providers, construction workers, transportation employees, and small business owners. Removing hundreds of thousands of people from legal status will destabilize families, strain local economies, and create unnecessary hardship for communities across the country.”
“Our TPS holders are not peripheral to this nation; they are woven into its fabric. They are neighbors, coworkers, caregivers, and pillars of our communities, our workforce, and our cultural identity,” explained immigration attorney and community advocate Rebecca Zama. “Nations are judged by how they treat the vulnerable. Today, our institutions fell short of that measure.”
“Temporary Protected Status is more than an immigration designation. It reflects our nation’s commitment to offer refuge for people when a return to their home countries is unsafe,” said Ivan Espinoza-Madrigal, Executive Director of Lawyers for Civil Rights in Boston. “Today’s ruling is a setback, but it does not diminish the humanity, dignity, or contributions of the people affected.”
“The Supreme Court’s ruling is a great travesty and marks a dark moment on the cusp of the 250-year anniversary of this country’s founding”, said Clare Louise Okalany, CEO of African Community Economic Development Of New England. “Without a doubt, we foresee human rights violations rippling across our communities as a result of this disappointing ruling and unaccountability from ICE enforcement.”
The Supreme Court decision overrules decades of Supreme Court precedent and multiple decisions by judges appointed by Republicans and Democrats alike that ruled that courts have the authority to review abusive decisions by the executive branch that were made without following proper procedures. The ruling also brushes aside voluminous evidence that President Trump and the administration acted with unconstitutional racial animus in deciding to terminate Haiti TPS.
“The Supreme Court decision betrays Haitians who had followed the rules, but it also undermines the rule of law that protects everyone in the United States,” says Brian Concannon, Executive Director of the Massachusetts-based Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti. “The administration and a politicized Supreme Court majority are using the Haitian TPS case as an opportunity to deprive courts of the ability to review abusive practices by the executive branch.”
Advocates are committed to continuing to fight for just and humane treatment of Haitian TPS beneficiaries, including to support a bill filed by Senator Ed Markey, that would carry forward a 3-year extension of Haiti TPS that Representative Ayanna Pressley guided through the House of Representatives.
“Today’s Supreme Court decision is a painful setback for thousands of Haitian families who have lived, worked, and contributed to this nation with dignity and resilience,” said Rev. Dr. Dieufort J. Fleurissaint, Chair, Haitian Americans United, Inc. (HAU). “We call on Congress and the Administration to pursue lasting and compassionate solutions that protect immigrant families and honor their contributions. As Scripture reminds us, ‘Seek justice, defend the oppressed’ (Isaiah 1:17).”
Dr. Geralde Gabeau, Executive Director of the Immigrant Family and Services Institute, noted that “this is a painful moment, but the fight is not over. We must keep showing up, keep raising our voices, and keep reminding decision-makers that behind every policy decision are real families whose futures are at stake.”
“This attack on the Haitian and Venezuelan communities is an attack on all our communities,” said Kevin Whalen and Clare Okalany, of the Equity Now & Beyond Coalition. “We stand shoulder to shoulder to demand justice and safety for all those facing violence in their home countries.”