Florida politicians react to Supreme Court decision on TPS

The Supreme Court has allowed the Donald Trump administration to end legal protections for migrants fleeing violence and natural disaster in Haiti and Syria, exposing hundreds of thousands more people to potential deportation.

Justices voted 6-3 to overturn lower court orders and allow the Department of Homeland Security to swiftly end temporary protected status (TPS), a program that protects 1.3 million people from 17 countries.

It marked another victory at the high court for President Trump’s sweeping crackdown on immigration. Though the conservative-dominated court has put the brakes on some of Trump’s immigration policies, it handed him a second win this week in a decision clearing the way for the revival of a policy restricting immigrants seeking asylum.

The court’s conservative majority found that immigration authorities have sole authority over the program, and the law doesn’t allow judges to intervene.

Justices Ketanji Brown Jackson, Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor cast dissenting votes.

Florida politicians reacted swiftly and forcefully to the ruling.

Gov. Ron DeSantis called the ruling a “correct decision” in an X post, adding that the “3 liberal Justices” who voted “no” were of the opinion “that ‘temporary’ protective status (sic) is essentially ‘permanent’ status.”

U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost said the decision will “devastate families, communities, and our country.”

“Immigrants make America exceptional, and TPS holders have built lives here and contributed so much to our communities,” he said. “We will continue fighting to protect TPS and the stability and dignity they deserve.”

U.S. Rep. Jared Moskowitz called the ruling “a failure of judgment,” warning that deporting Haitian TPS holders to “a country our own State Department says is too dangerous to visit” will have cascading economic consequences.

“Haitian TPS holders are legal workers who support our health care system, our infrastructure, and our economy in South Florida,” he said. “Deporting them to a country in a declared state of emergency means fewer caregivers, higher costs, and lives at risk.”

U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz called the decision “despicable” and said she plans to introduce legislation to reverse it.

“Hundreds of thousands of families who followed the law, passed multiple criminal background checks, earned work permits, and paid taxes will be torn apart, thrown in ICE jails, or sent back to a nation overrun by criminal gangs who murder and kidnap at will,” she said. “Haitian-American children — U.S. citizens — will be orphaned, detained in horrific conditions, or deported alongside their parents to imminent danger.”

Florida House Democratic Leader Fentrice Driskell emphasized the legal contributions of TPS recipients.

“Hundreds of thousands of people woke up today protected by the promise of America. Tonight, many are wondering whether that promise still exists,” she said. “These are our neighbors, coworkers, and community members. They work legally, pay taxes, raise families, and contribute to our country every day.”

State Rep. Angie Nixon, a candidate for U.S. Senate, called it “a catastrophic decision” and pointed the finger at incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody for not acting to stop it.

“Florida has the most people under temporary protected status in the country,” Nixon said. “This doesn’t just affect immigration policy; this puts millions of lives into a state of uncertainty and fear.”

Miami-Dade Commissioner Marleine Bastien, who for years ran a nonprofit to assist members of the county’s Haitian community, said the impacts of the decision “will be felt far beyond the Haitian community.”

“These individuals are not strangers — they are our friends, neighbors, coworkers, healthcare workers, teachers, entrepreneurs, and essential members of our communities,” she said.

“Hundreds of thousands of jobs could be left vacant across critical industries, including healthcare, hospitality, construction, manufacturing, and business services. The loss of these workers will create a ripple effect and there will be serious economic challenges for communities and employees. What makes this decision even more troubling is that Haiti remains in a state of crisis. No one should be forced to return to a country still facing extreme violence, instability, and humanitarian hardship.”

Miami-Dade Commissioner Oliver Gilbert, a candidate for Florida’s 24th Congressional District, described Trump’s motivation for seeking the change patently racist.

“350,000 Haitians. 6,100 Syrians. They’ve lived here, worked here, built lives here,” he said. “Justice Kagan got it right. The President’s own words ‘fairly shout’ of racial hostility. We all heard them. We know what they meant. In FL 24, Haitian families are our neighbors, our coworkers, our friends. They’re part of us. They always will be.”

Former Broward County Mayor Dale Holness, a candidate for Florida’s 20th Congressional District, called the decision both “legally reckless” and “morally bankrupt.”

“The six Justices in the majority have turned their backs on a people who are suffering unimaginably, and in doing so, they have dishonored the very history of this nation,” he said.

Former U.S. Rep. David Jolly, a candidate for Governor, offered emotional support.

“Our hearts go out to the people of Venezuela this morning and those here in Florida who call it home or have family still in (the) country,” he said, urging Trump’s administration to ensure that TPS remains available to Venezuelans.

Richard Lamondin, a candidate for Senate District 38, took aim at the weaponization of immigration enforcement at the local level.

“This is Miami. We are a city built by immigrants who came here fleeing the exact government overreach that we are discussing today,” he said. “When you turn our local police into federal immigration agents, you don’t make this city safer. You make every resident less safe.”

Elijah Manley, a candidate for CD 20 framed the issue in economic terms.

“The Supreme Court just gave Trump the green light to deport 350,000+ hardworking Haitians,” he said, “people who pour billions into our economy every year, staffing hospitals, schools, and businesses.”

U.S. Senate candidate Alex Vindman bashed the ruling as “a broken promise.”

“Thousands of Haitians, Venezuelans and other immigrant communities have built lives and contributed to our communities here in Florida while waiting for conditions to improve back home before they return,” he said. “For many, those conditions remain unsafe.”

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Material from The Associated Press was used in this report. Republished with permission.