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AG Campbell files brief to block termination of protected status for Haitian immigrants
The brief states terminating Temporary Protected Status for Haitian immigrants would destabilize families, harm public health, and hurt the economy.
Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell has filed a brief aimed at preserving the court’s block on President Donald Trump’s decision to end Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, for Haitian immigrants.
Campbell, who co-led 18 attorneys general in this filing, announced the move in an X post Tuesday night.
TPS for Haitian immigrants, initially set to expire Feb. 3, has been at the center of a prolonged legal battle. After the Trump administration announced the termination of Haiti’s TPS Nov. 28, 2025, a federal judge in the U.S. District Court issued a stay on Feb. 2, preventing the expiration. The decision allowed TPS holders to remain in the U.S. while litigation over legality of the termination continued.
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However, the federal government appealed this decision Feb. 6, seeking a stay from the Court of Appeals to proceed with the termination despite the district’s court ruling, according to a statement from Campbell’s office.
The filing urges the Court of Appeals to reject the federal government’s motion for a stay, arguing that ending Haiti’s TPS would have devastating effects for both individual persons and the broader community.
“Haitians are essential to the fabric of our communities, contributing every day as neighbors, workers, caregivers, and leaders,” Campbell said in the statement. “I will continue to fight for them and any other immigrant group that this administration chooses to unlawfully and cruelly target.”
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The members of the coalition argued in the brief that losing Haitian TPS holders in the country would damage the economy.
According to Campbell’s statement, Haitians contribute $3.4 billion annually to the U.S. economy, and Massachusetts is home to one of the nation’s largest Haitian populations, including tens of thousands of TPS holders.
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The brief also highlights the consequences of separating families: If TPS is terminated, mixed-status households “will immediately be destabilized, forcing families into untenable choices.”
The brief notes that family separation would impact children’s emotional and mental health, such as by causing stress and trauma that results in long-term psychological harm.
In addition, the brief cites the public health risks posed by the loss of TPS. Haitians make up a significant portion of the U.S. health care workforce, and losing their work authorization would exacerbate the nation’s health care challenges and increase costs, according to the brief.
“Because terminating Haiti’s TPS designation would raise healthcare costs and pose public health risks, the public interest weighs against a stay,” the brief states.
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