Gov. Maura Healey is urging the U.S. Senate to pass legislation extending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians, warning that a failure to act will severely disrupt the state’s economy and healthcare sectors.

TPS for Haitians ended Monday following a U.S. Supreme Court decision that upheld President Donald Trump’s plan to end the protections, which have been in place since 2010. Legislation to extend the status for Haitians has already passed the U.S. House of Representatives.

In a statement, Healey argued that allowing the protections to expire would strip thousands of residents of their legal status and work authorization, devastating families and private employers across the state.

“Haitian TPS holders are essential contributors to our state’s workforce, filling roles that are vital to our economic stability and growth. The sudden loss of their legal status and work authorization would be devastating for our state,” Healey said in a statement. “I urge Congress to take immediate action to extend TPS protections for Haiti. Forcing Haitian TPS holders to return to a country that has faced repeated natural disasters, economic crisis, widespread violence and political instability goes against the very purpose of TPS, which protects individuals already in the United States who cannot safely return to their home country.”

Massachusetts is home to more than 45,000 Haitian TPS holders, who widely serve in roles such as nurses, home health aides, construction workers and transportation employees, the governor said.

According to Healey’s office, Haitian TPS holders contribute an estimated $5.9 billion annually to the U.S. economy. Nationally, TPS holders from all designated countries pay an estimated $7.8 billion in federal, state and local taxes each year.

The state’s health care system is expected to bear a significant burden if the protections lapse. The Massachusetts Senior Care Association estimates that up to 2,000 workers in its member facilities could lose work authorization if the Senate fails to act, exacerbating existing staffing shortages.

“At a time when demand for vital services for older adults in Massachusetts is rapidly growing, the loss of up to 2,000 experienced Haitian caregivers in our nursing facilities will make it even more difficult to ensure access to the care our state’s seniors rely on,” Tara Gregorio, president and CEO of the Massachusetts Senior Care Association, said in a statement. ”The impact will be felt not only by these workers and their families, but also by the older adults who depend on a stable, reliable long‑term care system.”

State business leadership echoed these concerns, emphasizing that the workforce relies heavily on immigration programs to function seamlessly.

“Massachusetts employers depend on a stable workforce to keep our economy strong and competitive,” JD Chesloff, president and CEO of the Massachusetts Business Roundtable, said in a statement. ”Haitian TPS holders have filled critical roles across industries for years, and we are concerned that an abrupt loss of these experienced workers would increase costs, worsen existing labor shortages and disrupt businesses across the state. We appreciate Governor Healey’s leadership in bringing attention to these impacts.”

The push for a Senate vote carries strong backing from the Massachusetts congressional delegation. Both U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren and U.S. Rep. Katherine Clark stressed the humanitarian and community crises that would emerge if thousands of legal immigrants were suddenly subjected to deportation.

“Haitians are a powerfully important part our communities – they run small businesses, staff hospitals, and are our neighbors,” Warren said. “It is wrong for the Trump administration to rip these hardworking, legal immigrants out of our communities and deport them into imminent danger. I cosponsored a bill to reinstate Haiti TPS and I won’t stop fighting to protect the Haitian community.”

U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley, who helped champion the bipartisan extension bill that passed the House in April, noted that the Senate’s inaction puts the state’s economic stability in jeopardy.

“Haitian TPS holders are essential to our communities and economy, and ending TPS for Haiti would be devastating for Massachusetts and our country,” Pressley said. ”The Senate must do right by our Haitian siblings and pass our bill to extend TPS for Haiti and deliver the critical protections they deserve. I’m grateful to Governor Healey for her partnership in standing up for our neighbors.”

In response to the looming expiration, the Healey-Driscoll administration has ordered state agencies to support impacted communities and has issued guidance to employers.

Meanwhile, the United Way of Massachusetts Bay has launched a United Response Fund to deliver emergency assistance to impacted Haitian families throughout the transition.

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Original article HERE.