Jamaican-American Democratic Congresswoman Yvette Clarke has welcomed a U.S. federal court decision preserving Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian immigrants, calling it a victory for justice and human dignity.
Earlier this month, Judge Brian M. Cogan of the Eastern District of New York ruled against former President Donald Trump’s attempt to abruptly end TPS for more than 520,000 Haitian nationals currently living in the United States. The ruling upholds the Biden administration’s extension of TPS through at least February 3, 2026.
“While Haiti continues to grapple with humanitarian, political and economic crises, and conditions continue to worsen without an end in sight, I am grateful for the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York’s decision,” said Clarke, the daughter of Jamaican immigrants who represents Brooklyn’s 9th Congressional District.
Clarke, who chairs the Congressional Black Caucus, noted that she and other members of Congress had repeatedly urged the Trump administration to reconsider ending TPS. “Though the administration failed to uphold its moral and legal obligations… thankfully, some semblance of justice persists in this nation, and Haitians will remain protected for the time being,” she said.
TPS is a humanitarian immigration program that allows people from crisis-hit countries to live and work in the U.S. temporarily. Clarke said Haitian-Americans have long enriched American society and economy and deserve more than short-term protection.
“They are a beautiful people, with a culture deeply rooted and tied to this nation,” she said. “It is vital we carry on the momentum of this victory and do not relent in our advocacy to secure their lasting safety and prosperity.”
New York State Assemblywoman Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn, the first Haitian-American elected to the New York State Legislature from New York City, also praised the decision.
She called the ruling a necessary rebuke of efforts to “prematurely and cruelly” strip protection from Haitian nationals, many of whom have lived in the U.S. for over a decade.
“This is a victory not just for Haitians, but for justice and compassion in immigration policy,” Bichotte Hermelyn said.
