Nearly 1.3 million people with temporary protected status generate almost $29 billion annually for the US economy, new research shows, arriving just days before the Supreme Court weighs whether to let the Trump administration revoke protections for Syrians and Haitians.
The report from FWD.us documents the economic footprint of TPS holders across the country. The program shields foreign nationals from deportation when their home countries face war, political instability, or natural disasters. TPS recipients pay roughly $8 billion in federal, payroll, state, and local taxes combined.
The data underscores how deeply integrated TPS holders have become in American communities. Around 800,000 US citizens live alongside TPS holders in their households.
On April 29, the Supreme Court will hear arguments in consolidated cases challenging the administration's push to terminate TPS for Syrians and Haitians. Lower courts have blocked those terminations so far. The administration has moved aggressively to strip protections from roughly 1 million people across 13 designated countries, including Venezuela, where over 600,000 TPS holders live, and Haiti, home to approximately 330,000.
The timing of the economic report mirrors mounting congressional action. The House last week passed legislation extending protections for Haitian immigrants, a rare moment of bipartisan support that defied Republican leadership. Representative Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, who sponsored the bill, emphasized how crucial Haitian neighbors are to American communities and the workforce.
Advocates point to conditions on the ground as the legal standard for maintaining TPS. Both Syria and Haiti face active threats to civilian safety that make return perilous for current holders. The Supreme Court's decision could set the scope of presidential power over the program, which has existed for over three decades without offering a path to citizenship.
The administration has already successfully terminated TPS designations for Afghanistan, Honduras, Venezuela, and Yemen. Myanmar, Ethiopia, South Sudan, and Syria designations remain under court challenge.
Author James Rodriguez: "The case hinges on a simple question: can the president undo a policy that protects over a million workers without confronting what happens to them and the economy they support."
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