US: DHS Tells Employers To Dismiss Thousands of Immigrant Workers
- Homeland Security has directed US employers to terminate thousands of foreign workers whose Temporary Protected Status work permits are set to expire
- Authorisation for Haitians lapses on July 24, while permits for workers from Ethiopia, Myanmar, Somalia, South Sudan, Syria and Yemen end on July 17
- The latest directive follows a 6-3 Supreme Court ruling last month that upheld the Donald Trump administration's decision to end protections for immigrants
- Akua Poku, a US-based immigration lawyer, shared her expert insights on the Trump administration's ongoing deportation drive
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The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has instructed employers across the country to prepare to let go of hundreds of thousands of workers who hold Temporary Protected Status.
This comes as work permits for multiple nationalities are set to expire within weeks.
Source: Getty Images
According to The New York Times, notices issued by US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) specify that work authorisation for Haitians with TPS will lapse on July 24, while permits for workers from Ethiopia, Myanmar, Somalia, South Sudan, Syria, and Yemen will expire on July 17.
Supreme Court rules on TPS protections decision
The directive follows a Supreme Court ruling last month that, in a 6-3 decision split along ideological lines, upheld the Donald Trump administration's authority to terminate TPS protections for Haitians and Syrians.
Legal challenges had previously stalled similar terminations for the other five countries, but the ruling is expected to set a precedent that lower courts will follow.
Once terminations take effect, affected individuals become vulnerable to deportation.
More than 330,000 Haitians and 6,100 Syrians have been living in the US under the programme, which the government grants when conditions in a country, such as armed conflict or natural disaster, make it unsafe for citizens to return.
The five remaining countries collectively account for approximately 20,000 additional TPS holders, according to the National Immigration Forum.
Confusion over US shifting permit deadlines
The process has been complicated by a series of last-minute extensions from USCIS.
The agency had initially set an expiry date of July 1, then pushed it to July 10, before extending it again on the same Friday that employers received the termination guidance.
The shifting deadlines created significant uncertainty among businesses, with some dismissing workers before they were notified of each new extension, while others kept staff on payroll in anticipation of a short delay following the court ruling.
Jacob Monty, legal counsel for the American Business Immigration Coalition, said many employers had acted out of fear of penalties for retaining workers deemed ineligible to work.
"We still have the rule of law, and TPS has still not been terminated," he said.
He added that clearer communication from USCIS could have prevented the early dismissals:
"Many employers were uncertain, leading them to unnecessarily terminate the workers early."
The impact is expected to be felt across several industries.
A significant number of Haitian TPS holders work in healthcare and elder care, while thousands more are employed in construction, manufacturing and transportation.
Immigrant advocates have argued that conditions in many of the affected countries remain deeply unsafe, pointing to ongoing armed conflict in South Sudan, Somalia and Yemen, as well as the collapse of infrastructure worsened by cuts to international aid.
Lawyers representing Haitian and Syrian TPS holders had argued in court that the terminations were politically motivated and rooted in racial bias, claims the Supreme Court majority rejected.
The government is also widely expected to allow TPS protections for El Salvador, which cover approximately 200,000 people, to lapse in early September.
Immigrants facing deportation have legal options
In comments to YEN.com.gh, US-based immigration lawyer Akua Poku urged immigrants facing deportation not to assume they have no legal options, stressing that seeking legal advice early could help them challenge their removal or explore other forms of immigration relief.
"Mass deportations are now a harsh reality, it is more important than ever for immigrants to understand their rights and take proactive steps to protect themselves and their families. Many people assume they have no options, but in reality, legal remedies may still be available."
US targets foreigners travelling to give birth
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that the US had announced the revocation of hundreds of visas from West Africa and other regions.
The Department of State had cautioned against the abuse of visitor visas by people travelling to the country for 'birth tourism'.
This comes after a US embassy in West Africa discovered a group using fake documents and middlemen to help people go abroad.
Proofreading by Bruce Douglas, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.
Source: YEN.com.gh
