Res. No. 591
Resolution condemning the United States Supreme Court decision in Mullin v. Doe, which allowed the federal government to end Temporary Protected Status for Haitians and Syrians
By Council Members Avilés, Joseph, Encarnación and Cabán
Whereas, In June 2025 and in September 2025, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary announced the decision to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti and Syria, respectively; and
Whereas, TPS is a discretionary status, which provides protection from deportation and eligibility for a work permit, granted by the DHS Secretary for countries that are experiencing ongoing armed conflict, environmental disasters, epidemics, or other extraordinary and temporary conditions; and
Whereas, In the press releases for these TPS terminations, DHS announced that it was safe for nationals to return to both Haiti and Syria; and
Whereas, TPS was initially designated for Syria in March 2012, amid Syria’s 14-year civil war; and
Whereas, According to estimates from the United Nations, roughly 580,000 people were killed during the civil war and a quarter of Syria’s population was displaced; and
Whereas, Migration Policy Institute (MPI) reported that between 2011 and 2024, the number of Syrian immigrants in the United States doubled from 60,000 to 122,000, and around 6,100 Syrian immigrants were granted TPS; and
Whereas, MPI also reported that roughly 7 percent of Syrian immigrants reside in New York; and
Whereas, According to PBS, despite the end of the civil war, Syria’s rebuilding has been threatened by repeated incidents of violence, ongoing security threats, and weak government structures; and
Whereas, The International Rescue Committee (IRC) has urged caution to all Syrian nationals attempting to return to Syria, referencing the collapse of essential services and explosive remnants of war, the latter of which is most dangerous to children and newly arrived returnees; and
Whereas, According the Department of State’s travel advisory, Syria is categorized as “Level 4-Do not travel” due to the risk of terrorism, unrest, kidnapping, hostage taking, crime, and armed conflict; and
Whereas, Syria’s travel advisory page further states that “No part of Syria is safe from violence”; and
Whereas, TPS was initially designated for Haiti in January 2010, following the devastating 7.0 magnitude earthquake; and
Whereas, The earthquake resulted in the deaths of more than 220,000 people, the displacement of 1.5 million people, and the significant destruction of schools and government buildings; and
Whereas, Since the 2010 earthquake, Haiti has been subjugated to another earthquake and a tropical storm, a cholera epidemic, ongoing armed conflict, the assassination of their President, the resignation of their Prime Minister, and the consolidation of control of most of Haiti’s capital by gangs; and
Whereas, The Council on Foreign Relations estimates that 200 gangs operate in Haiti, and AP News reported that the rising gang violence has left more than 1 in 10 people homeless, and 2,300 people were killed and 100 were kidnapped in the first six months of 2026; and
Whereas, According the Department of State’s travel advisory, Haiti is categorized as “Level 4-Do not travel” due to the risk of crime, kidnapping, terrorism, unrest, and limited health care; and
Whereas, According to MPI, there are roughly 731,000 Haitian immigrants living in the United States and recent reporting estimates that over 350,000 had TPS; and
Whereas, United States Census data reported over 180,000 Haitians living in New York, with the highest concentration residing in Brooklyn; and
Whereas, At the outset of DHS’ decision to eliminate TPS for Syria and Haiti, Syrian and Haitian nationals sued to stop the termination in federal courts in New York and Washington D.C., respectively; and
Whereas, Both New York and Washington D.C. federal courts barred the Trump Administration from ending designations under TPS; and
Whereas, However, on June 25, 2026, the United States Supreme Court reversed these federal court rulings and delivered a decision in the case of Mullin v. Doe that effectively allowed the federal government to remove TPS for Haitians and Syrians; and
Whereas, As Syrian and Haitian TPS holders lose their status, they lose their protections against deportation and work authorization that many have relied on for years and have allowed them to establish lives in the United States; and
Whereas, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has already reportedly begun planning to increase operations against Haitian nationals to arrest and deport them; and
Whereas, Access to alternative statuses is complicated and lengthy, as the Trump Administration has eliminated and restricted most immigration pathways; and
Whereas, Because of the Supreme Court’s decision allowing the Trump Administration to end these TPS designations, Haitian and Syrian TPS holders, many that have established lives in the United States, contributed to the economy and culture, or raised families, have lost the ability to live safely and work legally in the United States and could be arrested and deported to countries experiencing dire conditions; now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York condemns the United States Supreme Court decision in Mullin v. Doe, which allowed the federal government to end Temporary Protected Status for Haitians and Syrians.
LS #24909
07/22/2026
RLB