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by: Geovany Dias
Posted: Jun 5, 2026 / 06:57 PM EDT
Updated: Jun 5, 2026 / 06:57 PM EDT
LITTLE HAITI, Brooklyn (PIX11) — Advocates, home care workers, and elected officials gathered in Brooklyn’s Little Haiti to raise concerns about the future of Temporary Protected Status for Haitians and what they say could be the consequences for New York’s health care system if protections are terminated.
The rally comes as the U.S. Supreme Court weighs a case involving TPS, a humanitarian immigration program that allows people from countries experiencing armed conflict, natural disasters, or other extraordinary conditions to live and work legally in the United States.
Advocates say hundreds of thousands of Haitians nationwide, including in New York, could be affected if the program is terminated. Supporters of TPS argue that many Haitian immigrants have become an essential part of New York’s workforce, particularly in the home care and health care sectors.
“They are caregivers, home care workers, nannies, house cleaners, health care aides, and essential workers who have spent many years caring for children, supporting our elders, and strengthening our economy,” said Karen Clark of the National Domestic Workers Alliance.
Advocates warned that losing those workers could worsen existing staffing shortages in the home care industry.
“We need our Haitian community, we need our immigrant community because they’re the ones that have shown up,” said home health aide and advocate Mildred Garcia-Gallery.
The legal battle stems from the Trump administration’s effort to end Haiti’s TPS designation. The move faced legal challenges and ultimately reached the nation’s highest court. Supreme Court justices heard arguments in April but have not yet issued a ruling.
For New Yorkers who need home health care services, the uncertainty has become deeply personal. Valerie Joseph, who relies on home care assistance because of a disability, said she worries about what could happen if workers lose their ability to remain employed in the United States.
“I need somebody to help me in the morning, I need somebody to help me at night, I need somebody to help me throughout the day,” Joseph said.
Advocates say the outcome of the case could affect not only immigrant families but also thousands of New Yorkers who depend on home health aides and caregivers for daily support.
The Supreme Court is expected to issue a decision in the coming weeks.