Photo caption: The U.S. Supreme Court in Washington is seen June 25, 2026, OSV News photo/Elizabeth Frantz, Reuters
By Gina Christian, OSV News and staff reports
PHILADELPHIA — Catholic leaders are warning the Supreme Court’s decision allowing the Trump administration to deport hundreds of thousands of Haitians and thousands of Syrians currently under protected status in the U.S. will have dire consequences — including for the U.S. itself. Bishops and others have called on Congress to extend the protections given the ongoing grave crises in both nations.
“Revoking the legal status of hundreds of thousands of people residing in our country creates a moral crisis when returning to their country of origin is not a safe or reasonable option,” said Bishop Brendan J. Cahill of Victoria, Texas, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Migration, in a June 26 statement.
On June 25, the nation’s top court halted federal court rulings that had kept the administration from ending the Temporary Protected Status program for nationals from Haiti and Syria, saying federal law largely prevents the court from reviewing the earlier moves to scrap the TPS designations for those countries.
“If we are truly to affirm the God-given dignity of every human person, we as a nation cannot turn a blind eye to such an injustice and the impossible choices it will create for families and communities,” said Bishop Cahill.
Created by Congress as part of the Immigration Act of 1990, TPS provides deportation protections for those from Homeland Security-designated countries experiencing ongoing crises, such as war and environmental disasters. As of March 31, 2025, the last date for which publicly available data exists, there were approximately 1.3 million people with TPS living in the United States.
More than 330,000 Haitians and some 6,100 Syrians in the U.S. had TPS protection as of 2025. Both nations have experienced long-running conflict, instability, disaster and disease.
“Even if the Administration determines TPS is no longer warranted, deferred enforced departure remains a tool available to the President, and we urge him to exercise right judgement in this way,” said Bishop Cahill. “Forcibly sending families to dire conditions is a legacy all leaders should seek to avoid. To that end, my brother bishops and I also continue to call upon Congress to act — to meet this moment with the moral fortitude that is so desperately needed.”
In anticipation of the potential loss of TPS, Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., posted a message in February. It said: “The Diocese of Trenton stands in deep solidarity with our Haitian brothers and sisters here – approximately 2,000 – many of whom worship, serve and lead within our own parish communities. Their faith, resilience and cultural richness are a blessing to our local Church.
“In light of the ongoing crisis in Haiti – marked by widespread violence, political instability and life‑threatening conditions – I join my brother U.S. bishops in expressing grave concern for Haitian families in the United States who now face the loss of Temporary Protected Status.
“Current conditions make clear that there is no realistic opportunity for the safe and orderly return of people to Haiti at this time. The situation in much of Haiti remains dire. The U.S. Department of State warns of life‑threatening risks, including kidnapping, violence and civil unrest. . . . These realities make clear that returning people to Haiti at this time would place them in grave danger.”
“While the Church recognizes the right of nations to regulate immigration, we also insist that such decisions must always uphold human dignity, protect families, and safeguard the vulnerable. We are seeing far too many incidents unfolding across this nation that fail to uphold these moral mandates.
“I echo the call of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops for immigration policies that reflect justice, mercy and the protection of human life. . . . We urge our national leaders to consider the humanitarian realities facing Haiti and to ensure that those who have built their lives here are not forced into harm’s way.”
– – –
Gina Christian is a multimedia reporter for OSV News.