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Tens of thousands of people in Massachusetts stand to be impacted by Thursday's United States Supreme Court decision that cleared the path for the Trump administration to end Temporary Protected Status for Haitians and Syrians, a legal protection granted to people from countries facing conflict and natural disaster.
It amounts to an existential crisis for TPS holders in Massachusetts and is another blow to Massachusetts healthcare and human services sectors already facing workforce shortages.
The Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition has placed the number of Haitians living in the Bay State at over 77,000 — the third-largest diaspora of Haitian immigrants in the U.S. Gov. Maura Healey has said the number of Haitian TPS holders in Massachusetts accounts for more than 45,000 people.
The decision "will have severe consequences in Massachusetts, where thousands of TPS holders fill critical roles in our healthcare and elder care industries," Attorney General Andrea Campbell said Thursday. Her office is reviewing the implications of the decision for families, employers, healthcare systems and communities.
Lives will be put "at risk," Campbell said, "by forcing families to return to countries experiencing violence, instability, and humanitarian crisis." Haiti and Syria are considered "Do Not Travel" areas by the U.S. Department of State.
Months ago when TPS was initially scheduled to end in early February, Worcester-based Ascentria Care Alliance wrote that Haitian TPS holders make up "a critical part of the long-term care workforce," between certified nursing assistants, home health aides and direct care workers.
"Industry estimates suggest Massachusetts could lose up to 2,000 long-term caregivers in a sector already facing severe staffing shortages," Ascentria wrote. "There is no backup workforce waiting to step in."
The SCOTUS decision reportedly puts some 350,000 people across the country at risk of deportation, a collective that contributes $4.4 billion annually to the U.S. economy, Healey said in January.
Healey called it "devastating" for the state's economy, saying it "makes absolutely no sense and only serves to hurt our immigrant families." Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said she's been preparing for this for months: "We all knew this day was coming. It doesn't make it easier. It doesn't take away the depravity, the harm, the fear in our communities."
Ella Adams is a reporter for the State House News Service. Reach her at [email protected].
HAPPENING TODAY
9:30 | Gov. Healey celebrates the grand opening and ribbon-cutting for the newly renovated station entrance at Kendall/MIT Station on the Red Line | Kendall/MIT Station Outbound Headhouse, 325 Main St., Cambridge
10:00 | Board of Higher Education holds a special meeting, which features consideration of Merrimack College's application for a 96-credit bachelor's program | Agenda | Zoom Access
10:50 | Gov. Healey is scheduled to deliver a keynote address titled "Welcome to Massachusetts, State of Revolutions" on the second day of Quantum.Tech, a two-day conference focused on quantum innovations | Encore Boston Harbor at 1 Broadway, Everett | More Info and Agenda
2:00 | Gov. Healey signs legislation designed to improve student literacy across Massachusetts | Governor’s Ceremonial Office
3:00 | Norway and France face off in a FIFA World Cup match | "Boston Stadium," 1 Patriot Place, Foxborough | More Info
4:00 | Deadline for senators to file amendments to redrafted energy legislation (S 3143).
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FROM BEACON HILL
COUNTERING ‘STUFFY DUDES’: Members of the cannabis industry, along with health experts and other supporters, launched a campaign Thursday against the ballot measure that would repeal legalized recreational marijuana. — State House News Service
HOW FAR ON HOUSING? A new housing production tracker released by the state shows that Massachusetts is about 15.6% of the way to reaching its housing goal of adding 222,000 units over the next decade. — State House News Service
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As Summer Power Demand Builds, National Grid’s Work to Keep Massachusetts Running Is Already Underway
As electricity demand rises heading into the summer cooling season, National Grid is already taking steps to reduce risk, improve the customer experience, and support businesses and economic activity across the Commonwealth, helping bring energy to power possibilities for customers and communities. Investments in system reliability, coupled with proactive planning and newer technologies, help minimize disruptions and avoid costs that ultimately impact customers. — LEARN MORE
NEWS NEXT DOOR
NANTUCKET’S POP: The Nantucket Select Board approved about $45,000 for a UMass Amherst study to figure out Nantucket’s population in shoulder seasons, in the summer and in the off-season. — Nantucket Current
HOMELESSNESS DATA: While the homeless population in Boston this year was counted at its lowest level in more than a decade, some are wondering whether the data is reflective of changes in the shelter system or actual improvements. — Boston Globe
OFFSHORE AGREEMENT: Offshore wind developer Invenergy has agreed with the Trump administration to give up two leases it won in 2024, one of which is off of the Cape. Gov. Healey criticized the move. — Cape Cod Times
NO EXTENDED LAST CALL IN NB: There will not be an extended last call or public consumption zones in New Bedford this summer, after the city’s Licensing Board voted against adopting the policies, citing lack of police resources and public safety concerns. — New Bedford Light
EASTHAMPTON APPROVES: The Easthampton City Council approved a $65.3 million fiscal 2027 budget, which relies on a voter-approved $6.9 million Prop 2 ½ override and marks an more than 5% budget increase over fiscal 2026. — Daily Hampshire Gazette
ON ICE COURTHOUSE ARRESTS: A federal judge issued a ruling this week that would bar a policy that allowed ICE agents “broad discretion” to conduct arrests at courthouses. The decision is also expected to stop permitting ICE to hold people for over 12 hours at field offices not meant to hold people long-term, like at ICE’s Burlington headquarters.— WBUR
Ask your Senator to support S. 1114 and S. 1124 for Clean Slate legislation because an old CORI should not mean a lifetime of blocked opportunities.
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Director of Donor Engagement, Charles River Watershed Association
District Press Assistant, Congressman James P. McGovern
Immigration/Immigrant Rights Litigation Senior Attorney, Mass Law Reform Institute
Language Access & Equity Fellow, Mass Law Reform Institute
Affordable Housing Preservation Attorney, Mass Law Reform Institute
ADA Coordinator, City of Newton
Executive Director and Chief Compliance Officer, The Greater Boston Hospitality Employees (GBHE) Local 26
Chief of Staff, Strategy & Operations, The Center for Health Information and Analysis
Grants Program Manager, Office of the Massachusetts Attorney General
