Judge clears path to end Haiti protections for 350,000 in US
Why it matters: The move could expose hundreds of thousands of Haitians to deportation to a country under the highest US travel warning.
A federal judge in Washington cleared the way Wednesday for the Trump administration to move ahead with ending Temporary Protected Status for roughly 330,000 to 350,000 Haitians living in the United States. U.S. District Judge Ana C. Reyes wrote that her earlier order blocking the policy “is no longer in effect” after the Supreme Court ruled in June that federal law bars courts from reviewing non-constitutional decisions to terminate TPS. The underlying lawsuit will continue, including claims that the move was driven by racial animus. Haiti is under a Level 4 State Department travel warning citing crime, kidnapping, terrorism, unrest and limited health care. An analysis cited by The Washington Post found about 200,000 Haitian TPS holders are employed, many in health care, food service, warehousing, retail and long-term care.