Mullin: TPS Not Permanent, Migrants Must Choose
US Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said on Sunday that migrants in the United States under Temporary Protected Status (TPS) should either seek permanent residence or leave for their home countries. Speaking on CNN's 'State of the Union', Mullin stated: 'Either try to fill out the paperwork and be here underneath a permanent status or we'll help you get back to your country.' He added that the administration would provide a plane ticket and approximately $2,100 to help re-establish in the home country.
Supreme Court Ruling Allows Termination of TPS for Haitians and Syrians
Mullin's remarks follow a split Supreme Court decision last week that permits the Trump administration to strip TPS from hundreds of thousands of Haitian and Syrian immigrants. The humanitarian status protects individuals from deportation to countries plagued by conflict and destitution. Federal law authorizes the administration to grant temporary legal residency to people fleeing war, disaster, or other adverse conditions. TPS had previously been renewed successively, but the administration moved to end these protections despite State Department warnings against travel to Haiti or Syria due to widespread violence, crime, terrorism, and kidnapping.
Haitian TPS After 2010 Earthquake, Syrian TPS Since 2012
The United States first provided TPS to Haitians after a devastating earthquake in 2010, and to Syrians after their country descended into civil war in 2012. The Supreme Court's conservative majority ruled that Haitians suing the administration were unlikely to succeed in their argument that the actions were racially biased.
Opposition from Republicans: Ohio Governor Cites Economic Harm
The prospect of large-scale deportations faces opposition, even among some Republicans. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, also speaking on CNN, said it was not safe for Haitians to return and that removing diligent workers would hurt the Ohio economy and leave the healthcare industry short-staffed. 'It's Haitians who many times are taking care of your mom or your dad who has Alzheimer's, taking care of family members who might be in a nursing home,' DeWine said. 'And to say we're going to pull all those out, it's just not in our own self-interest.'
Economic Impact of Haitians in Ohio
During the 2024 election, Trump falsely accused Haitians living in Ohio of eating others' household pets. However, Reuters has reported that the presence of Haitians in the state has helped spur economic revival in some Ohio areas that had fallen into post-industrial decline, boosting wages and job creation.
