National Bar Association condemns Supreme Court ruling stripping Temporary Protected Status from more than 350,000 Haitian immigrants

The National Bar Association today condemned the Supreme Court’s 6-3 decision in Mullin v. Doe, which permits the Trump administration to terminate Temporary Protected Status for more than 350,000 Haitian immigrants — exposing them to the loss of their work authorization and to immediate deportation to a country still gripped by violence and humanitarian crisis.

“As the nation’s oldest and largest association of Black attorneys and judges, we measure decisions of this court against the Constitution and the rule of law — and by that measure, this ruling fails,” said Ashley L. Upkins, Esq., President of the National Bar Association. “The court has cleared the way to uproot 350,000 people who have lawfully lived, worked and raised families in this country, while looking past the equal protection guarantees the Fourteenth Amendment was written to secure. When the law is bent to serve animus, every American’s rights are made less secure.”

Haiti continues to face widespread gang violence and a deepening humanitarian emergency. TPS exists precisely for this circumstance: it allows nationals of countries devastated by disaster or conflict to live and work in the United States without fear of detention or removal. The court’s ruling ends that protection for 350,000 members of the Haitian community — many with U.S.-born children — and leaves families facing the loss of their livelihoods and deportation to conditions the United States itself has deemed unsafe.

“The record in this case points to a decision driven not by neutral principles but by racial and xenophobic animus, and the Fourteenth Amendment forbids exactly that,” said Upkins. “When a coordinate branch acts on that motive and the court declines to stop it, the damage is not confined to one community — it erodes the independence of the judiciary and public confidence in equal justice. This is why meaningful Supreme Court reform must remain central to any serious agenda to protect our democracy and the integrity of our courts.”

The stakes extend well beyond the courtroom. Haitian TPS holders contribute an estimated $6 billion to the U.S. economy each year and fill essential roles in health care, agriculture and manufacturing. Researchers estimate that roughly 25,000 U.S.-citizen children could be pushed into poverty if their parents lose the right to work. The nation is weaker, poorer and less just for this outcome.

While the administration bears responsibility for the policy that produced this decision, Congress retains the power to correct it. The National Bar Association calls on Congress to act without delay to enact a permanent pathway to citizenship for TPS holders and urges members of the legal profession to stand with the Haitian families, colleagues and clients whose security now hangs in the balance. We will continue to advocate and organize in defense of equal protection and the rule of law.

Resources for TPS holders and families
Haitian Bridge Alliance Hotline
A support hotline is available in English and Haitian Creole. The hotline number is provided in the attached graphic and in the Haitian Bridge Alliance Instagram post available here.

International Refugee Assistance Project
Find updated resources and guidance for TPS holders here.

About the National Bar Association
Founded in 1925, the National Bar Association is the nation’s oldest and largest network of predominantly Black attorneys and judges. Representing the interests of over 67,000 lawyers, judges, law professors, and law students, the NBA is committed to advancing the science of jurisprudence, improving the administration of justice, protecting judicial independence, and safeguarding the civil and political rights of all citizens.