A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit on March 7 upheld a lower-court injunction that prevents the Trump administration from terminating Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for an estimated 350,000 Haitian nationals living and working legally in the United States. Writing for the 2-1 majority, Judge Florence Pan ruled that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) had not shown irreparable harm that would justify lifting the injunction while the underlying lawsuit proceeds.
The decision is the latest setback for an administration that has moved aggressively to narrow humanitarian relief programs; DHS has already announced plans to cancel TPS for Venezuela, Ukraine, Honduras, Nepal and several African nations. By contrast, the court emphasized Congress’s intent that TPS recipients not be uprooted abruptly when dangerous conditions—Haiti’s gang violence and political instability, in this case—persist.
![U.S. appeals court blocks attempt to end Temporary Protected Status for 350,000 Haitians]()
For employers, the ruling means continued work authorization for Haitian TPS holders, many of whom fill critical roles in health care, agriculture and hospitality. Human-resources departments should update I-9 reverification calendars: current Employment Authorization Documents remain valid for at least six more months under USCIS’s automatic-extension notice and could be renewed again if the litigation drags on.
Immigration attorneys note that the administration may petition the Supreme Court, but even an expedited schedule would push any final ruling into late 2026. Companies are therefore advised to treat Haitian TPS work authorization as stable for the remainder of the calendar year while monitoring further court filings. Haitian communities, meanwhile, welcomed the decision but urged Congress to convert TPS into a pathway to permanent residence, arguing that repeated renewals leave families in limbo.
The decision is the latest setback for an administration that has moved aggressively to narrow humanitarian relief programs; DHS has already announced plans to cancel TPS for Venezuela, Ukraine, Honduras, Nepal and several African nations. By contrast, the court emphasized Congress’s intent that TPS recipients not be uprooted abruptly when dangerous conditions—Haiti’s gang violence and political instability, in this case—persist.
For employers, the ruling means continued work authorization for Haitian TPS holders, many of whom fill critical roles in health care, agriculture and hospitality. Human-resources departments should update I-9 reverification calendars: current Employment Authorization Documents remain valid for at least six more months under USCIS’s automatic-extension notice and could be renewed again if the litigation drags on.
Immigration attorneys note that the administration may petition the Supreme Court, but even an expedited schedule would push any final ruling into late 2026. Companies are therefore advised to treat Haitian TPS work authorization as stable for the remainder of the calendar year while monitoring further court filings. Haitian communities, meanwhile, welcomed the decision but urged Congress to convert TPS into a pathway to permanent residence, arguing that repeated renewals leave families in limbo.
Source: Associated Press
