Trump Extends Work Permits for Migrant Workers Hours Before Deadline

The Trump administration has extended work permits for migrants from Haiti and six other countries just hours before they were due to expire.  

The conflicting guidance has created uncertainty for workers and businesses.

The last-minute extension applies to migrants from Haiti, Ethiopia, Myanmar, Somalia, South Sudan, Syria and Yemen. However, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) also instructed employers to prepare to dismiss TPS holders, creating confusion over how the policy should be applied. 

Some businesses had already ended workers’ employment before the extension was announced. TPS was introduced in 1990 to allow people from countries affected by war, natural disasters or other serious crises to remain temporarily in the United States with legal residency and permission to work. 

Haitians and Syrians make up the largest groups covered by the programme, with more than 330,000 Haitians and 6,100 Syrians currently living in the country under TPS. According to the National Immigration Forum, five countries account for about 20,000 TPS holders, while the programme currently covers nationals from 12 countries.

Under the latest extension, work permits for Haitians will now expire on 24 July, while permits for migrants from Ethiopia, Myanmar, Somalia, South Sudan, Syria and Yemen will expire on 17 July. The decision follows another short-term extension in recent weeks after the US Citizenship and Immigration Services had originally set 1 July as the deadline. 

Employers remain concerned about the risk of penalties if they continue employing workers whose legal status is uncertain. Jacob Monty, counsel for the American Business Immigration Coalition, said the lack of clear guidance led many employers to dismiss workers unnecessarily before the extension took effect.

Labour unions have reported disruption across several workplaces. Unite Here, which represents 300,000 hospitality and airport workers, said TPS holders at Fort Lauderdale airport in Florida had already been dismissed or placed on administrative leave. Union officials said both employees and employers are waiting for further decisions while legal deadlines continue to change.

The administration has made clear that it intends to end the TPS programme. Last month, the Supreme Court ruled that the government has the authority to remove protections for Haitians and Syrians, a decision welcomed by President Trump as part of his immigration policy. The White House has argued that the programme has been misused, accusing the Biden administration of weak vetting procedures and claiming that some foreign nationals have taken advantage of the system.

Court rulings have temporarily prevented the administration from ending TPS protections for migrants from several countries, including Myanmar, Ethiopia and Somalia. However, TPS protection for Venezuela has already expired. The administration has continued its efforts despite estimates from advocacy group FWD.us that TPS holders contribute about $29 billion to the US economy each year and pay nearly $8 billion in taxes.

The latest developments leave many TPS holders facing continued uncertainty over both their employment and their legal status.