Background
On June 25, the Supreme Court issued a ruling in Mullin v. Doe allowing the administration to terminate Temporary Protected Status for more than 330,000 Haitians currently living and working in the U.S. The termination is expected to take effect imminently.
The Court ruled that despite extremely unsafe conditions in Haiti and the Department of Homeland Security’s numerous procedural violations of the TPS statute, federal courts largely lack the authority to hold the administration accountable for unlawful TPS terminations. That responsibility is left up to the people — and to Congress, which must act swiftly and decisively.
Following a historic discharge petition earlier this year, the House has already passed bipartisan legislation to extend TPS protections for Haiti until 2029. An identical Senate version of the bill (S. 4814) was introduced by Senators Ed Markey and Lisa Blunt Rochester on June 17, just a week before the Supreme Court’s decision in Mullin v. Doe. But Senate leadership has not yet agreed to bring the bill to a vote.
Click here for contact information for Connecticut Senators Blumenthal and Murphy.
The Episcopal Church has and continues to advocate for the protection of immigrants in general and TPS in particular including but not limited to:
- A statement from the Episcopal Church Office of Government Relations statement about the recent Supreme Court Decision.
- A 2024 General Convention Resolution calling for the expansion of TPS.
- An Executive Council Resolution in 2004 calling for expansion of TPS and other immigration protection for Haitians.
- A 2018 General Convention Resolution articulating principles to guide responses to human migration.
Sample email to legislators:
My name is [insert name], and as your constituent from [City/Town] and a [person of faith/refugee/member of community], I urge you to stand up for Haitians in our community who are now at risk as the Supreme Court rules it does not have the authority to stop Trump’s unlawful Temporary Protected Status terminations. The ruling is clear: That responsibility rests with Congress.
Earlier this year, a historic discharge petition compelled a bipartisan majority of the House to vote and pass H.R. 1689, which would require DHS to designate Temporary Protected Status for Haiti through 2029. An identical version has been introduced in the Senate as S. 4814, although leadership has not yet agreed to move the legislation forward or bring it to a vote.
Many Haitians have lived here for decades, relying on TPS for protections from deportation and work authorization. Now – amid a sweeping “de-documentation” campaign from the administration and the recent Supreme Court ruling – they are at risk. Haiti remains extremely unsafe. As the transitional government expires, the country has descended into a worsening humanitarian and security crisis. Per the UN, at least 90% of the capital city continues to be controlled by gangs. Earlier this year, the U.S. Embassy in Haiti issued yet another security alert, warning of increasing kidnappings in Port-Au-Prince.
Approximately 330,000 Haitians currently rely on TPS, including many who live in [STATE]. Deporting them into the violent and unstable conditions that Haiti is currently facing would be unconscionable. I urge you to:
- Support and vote for S. 4184 and the extension and redesignation of TPS for Haiti. I urge you to co-sponsor the bill and urge leadership to move the legislation forward.
- Conduct oversight over the Trump administration’s de-documentation policies. From terminating TPS, stripping humanitarian parole protections, to “re-interviews” of settled refugee cases, the administration is forcing people who arrived through lawful humanitarian pathways out of status. I urge you to push back on these policies and press the administration for more information about its plans to target humanitarian entrants.
My community stands with Haitians, and I urge you to do the same.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
Sample Phone Text:
My name is [insert name], and as your constituent from [City/Town] and a [person of faith/refugee/member of community], I urge you to stand up for Haitians in our community who are now at risk as Supreme Court rules it does not have the authority to stop Trump’s unlawful Temporary Protected Status terminations. The Court’s ruling is clear: That responsibility rests with Congress.
Many Haitians have lived here for decades, relying on TPS for protections from deportation and work authorization. Now – amid a sweeping “de-documentation” campaign from the administration and the recent Supreme Court decision – they are at risk.
A bipartisan bill that would require DHS to designate Temporary Protected Status for Haiti through January 20, 2029 has passed the House, and an identical bill — S. 4814 — has been introduced in the Senate.
I urge you to:
- Co-sponsor and support S. 4814 and the extension and redesignation of TPS for Haiti in the Senate.
- Conduct oversight over the Trump administration’s de-documentation policies. From terminating TPS, stripping humanitarian parole protections, to “re-interviews” of settled refugee cases, the administration is forcing people who arrived through lawful humanitarian pathways out of status. I urge you to push back on these policies and press the administration for more information about its plans to target humanitarian entrants.
My community stands with Haitians, and I urge you to do so as well.