Hochul urges DHS to reverse TPS termination

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul sent a letter last week to U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin renewing her opposition to the end of Temporary Protected Status, warning that the terminations will force state and local governments to cut hundreds of essential employees from payroll.

The letter, sent after a conversation Hochul said she had with President Donald Trump, called the recent termination of TPS for Haitians and the upcoming termination for Salvadorans a “reckless and inhumane act.” Hochul said the fallout will extend beyond government payrolls into the private sector, with New York’s health care industry — and the seniors and other vulnerable residents who depend on it — especially exposed.

Hochul pointed to her administration’s Office for New Americans, which she said has helped thousands of New Yorkers with TPS applications and legal representation, and said the state “will continue to do everything in our power to prevent harm to the immigrant community.” 

She called on DHS to fully restore protections for people who cannot safely return to countries facing instability, violence or crisis, arguing TPS exists precisely so people are not sent back into danger.

The letter comes as Haitian TPS holders across New York brace for the loss of status amid a pending court decision on timing. At a recent Haitian American Alliance of New York community meeting, attorneys, educators and mental health professionals described families paralyzed by uncertainty — parents losing jobs, children pulled from summer programs and school out of fear of detention, and advocates reporting a rise in suicidal ideation among TPS holders trying to plan for what comes next.