On Monday, about 350,000 Haitians and 6,000 Syrians across the United States lost their Temporary Protected Status, after the Supreme Court gave the Trump administration yet another win.
The TPS designation allows immigrants from countries with ongoing conflict or instability to live and work in the U.S.: Haiti received TPS after a devastating earthquake in 2010, and Syria was given it in 2012 while dictator Bashar al-Assad was in power.
New York is home to the largest Haitian population in the country after Florida, most of whom live in Brooklyn and Queens. The loss of TPS has impacted thousands of Haitians in New York City, sparking outrage among many elected officials and advocates who say Haiti remains a dangerous place to return to.
Among them is New York City Councilmember Rita Joseph, who was born in Haiti and moved to the U.S. as a toddler. Her district spans Central Brooklyn and includes "Little Haiti."
"As a young Haitian American who sees how Haiti is right now, it's unimaginable to want to send folks to that type of danger, to that type of violence, gang violence that's happening in Haiti," she said. "Where in the capital alone, over a million people have been displaced, and this is post-earthquake as well."