WASHINGTON — The Trump administration’s termination of Temporary Protected Status for Haiti, Syria and Yemen has drawn renewed criticism from immigration advocates, who warn the decision will strip hundreds of thousands of people of legal protections and force many to return to countries the U.S. government continues to classify as too dangerous for Americans to visit.
In a recently released statement, FWD.us President Todd Schulte expressed disappointment in the administration’s decision to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti, Syria and Yemen, citing concerns about the families that will be uprooted and face deportation to unsafe countries.
FWD.us is a policy organization focused on criminal justice and immigration reform. Schulte’s statement comes after the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Mullin v. Doe allowed the Department of Homeland Security to terminate TPS for Haiti and Syria. The ruling cleared the path for deportations of nationals who are no longer protected under TPS.
TPS is granted to a country when its citizens are unable to return safely, such as during an ongoing conflict or after a natural disaster. While their country is designated for TPS, nationals are permitted to live and work in the United States without facing deportation.
According to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, TPS for Haiti and Syria terminated effective July 27, while Yemen’s TPS terminated effective July 20.
In his statement, Schulte argued TPS has “been a life-saving benefit to hundreds of thousands of people who have fled incredible violence and hardship.” He added that ending TPS “will force hundreds of thousands of people out of their jobs and expose them to deportation.”
Schulte further argued that “the claim that it is safe to return people to Haiti, Syria or Yemen confounds basic common sense.”
The U.S. Department of State currently classifies all three countries as “Level 4: Do Not Travel.” The department advises against travel because of crime, kidnapping, terrorism, civil unrest and health risks.
Haiti continues to face widespread violence and instability. According to UN News, armed gangs control substantial portions of the country, using violence to expand their control while worsening food insecurity, obstructing humanitarian aid and exploiting environmental disasters that have complicated recovery efforts. Women and girls remain especially vulnerable to sexual violence committed by gangs.
Syria has experienced continuing political instability since the 2024 ouster of dictator Bashar Assad and the aftermath of the civil war that lasted from 2011 to 2024, according to the Council on Foreign Relations. Although the country is under new leadership, territorial disputes and sectarian violence continue to fuel attacks.
Yemen has remained in civil war since 2014. That year, Houthi forces seized the capital and later the presidential palace, prompting a Saudi Arabia-led coalition to intervene, according to the Council on Foreign Relations. USA for UNHCR reports the country continues to face a humanitarian crisis marked by millions of displaced people, the threat of large-scale famine, ongoing violence and collapsing public services.
With TPS ending for Haiti, Syria and Yemen, Schulte expressed sympathy for the “hundreds of thousands of families whose lives are being thrown into chaos and their well-being endangered.”
Schulte placed responsibility not only on the Trump administration but also on “many in Congress who do not take any and all actions to pass legislation to provide protections and a pathway to citizenship, including through the American Dream and Promise Act.”
The American Dream and Promise Act was introduced in 2025 by Rep. Sylvia Garcia, D-Texas. The legislation would provide an “adjustment of status for certain nationals of certain countries designated for temporary protected status or deferred enforced departure.”
FWD.us argues that terminating TPS for Haiti, Syria and Yemen will separate families, eliminate work authorization and force people to return to countries still experiencing armed conflict, humanitarian crises and widespread insecurity.
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