Nurses and politicians warn end of TPS for Haitians could deepen New York healthcare crisis
Nurses and elected officials rallied outside Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, saying the loss of protection for 350,000 Haitians threatens families and the hospital workforce.
NEW YORK, United States. Nurses from the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) and elected officials rallied outside Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn on 5 August to protest against the Trump administration’s termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 350,000 Haitian immigrants in the United States.
Haitians first received TPS under the Obama administration in 2010 after a 7.0 magnitude earthquake killed an estimated 220,000 people. The protection was extended several times before the Trump administration announced plans in June 2025 to end it.
The termination was temporarily blocked by a federal court in New York, but the US Supreme Court ruled in June that lower courts could not block the decision. On 5 August a federal judge in Washington confirmed that the order blocking the termination for Haiti was no longer in effect.
Fears for hospitals
NYSNA president Nancy Hagans warned that ending TPS would tear families apart and worsen New York City’s hospital staffing crisis, as many Haitian TPS holders work as nurses and home health aides.
“This decision doesn’t just affect immigrant families; it also affects patients who depend on our healthcare system,” she said, calling on Congress and the administration to reverse it.
According to the United Nations, Haiti faces the most severe humanitarian crisis in the Western Hemisphere, with more than 6.4 million people needing assistance. At least 26 gangs control up to 90 per cent of Port-au-Prince and the surrounding area.
New York Attorney General Letitia James noted that the US State Department has issued a “Do Not Travel” advisory for Haiti. “Stripping away their legal status will just tear families apart, devastate our healthcare workforce,” she said.
Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso called on Congress to extend TPS for Haitians immediately. Council Member Mercedes Narcisse, a registered nurse and Haitian-American, described the decision as “cruel” and “short-sighted”.
Community in fear
Assembly Member Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn, whose district includes Little Haiti and who is the daughter of Haitian immigrants, said many constituents were afraid to leave home, warning of a “ripple effect” on small businesses, schooling and housing.
Stephanie D. Delia, an immigration lawyer and executive director of Little Haiti BK, urged Haitians to prepare an emergency plan in case of detention, including guardianship documents for children, securing passports and immigration records, and designating an emergency contact.
She said help was available from groups including CUNY Citizenship NOW, Make The Road New York, the New York Legal Assistance Group and Haitian Women for Haitian Refugees, and warned people to beware of bad actors seeking to exploit vulnerable immigrants.
