Abie Green
NYU Law Center on Race, Inequality, and the Law
New York, USA
Only a few short weeks ago, I attended the New Sanctuary Coalition’s conference aimed at addressing the crisis presented by the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for so many countries. They presented a unique and out-of-the-box solution that would grant the opportunity to stall deportation for as long as possible for those losing TPS. They were going to integrate their solution into their already functioning clinics, and I had planned to begin to work at these clinics with the hopes of the center coordinating with them to open another one. Before this plan even had a chance to be launched, though, a new executive order drove it to a grinding halt.
Trump announced that anyone who gets rejected after applying for any kind of residency or visa status would enter the deportation process immediately, no matter how slight the error for the rejection. This would include, for example, someone who lacks a document because the USCIS sent it to the wrong address.
US immigration law is notoriously complex and confusing. Once someone enters deportation proceedings, s/he will not be provided a lawyer for help with understanding the process and defending him/herself. This sudden and quiet change in procedure makes things all the more difficult for those facing the loss of TPS. Though there are several lawsuits pending against TPS, Trump is making it more and more difficult to help prevent their deportation and provide the help these communities sincerely need and deserve.
Haiti is one of the countries that has lost TPS, a move that indicates that the State Department believes Haiti to be capable of handling a huge influx of returnees. Ironically, massive protests and strikes have essentially shut down the capital city, and my recent trip to Haiti had to be postponed as a result. This clearly demonstrates that Haiti cannot handle what is already on its plate as the country tries to progress and move forward and will therefore be unable to cope with the tens of thousands of returnees that are set to be deported once TPS runs out.