Natalia Navas

Labor Leadership Programs Associate

Natalia Navas, a labor leadership programs associate and the daughter of a TPS holder, says their fight is not over.

Navas says:

“As the daughter of a TPS holder, this decision is very devastating for us, although we know it is not the end of our fight. This puts my father in a precarious status in the country, where he has lived for over 34 years. TPS allowed him to support my sister, my mother and I throughout the last three decades of our lives, including when I attended Cornell University as an undergraduate, and as I pursued my Ph.D.

“This Supreme Court decision also causes fear in our communities because people with TPS have been here for many years, and most of them have tried to adjust their status with no clear path to legality in the broken immigration system. They have done this, all while contributing to the country's economy and cultural, and civic fabric of their communities.” 

Patricia Campos-Medina

Executive Director of the Worker Institute

Patricia Campos-Medina, a policy expert on workplace and labor issues, asks why — if previous generations of European immigrants could turn their sweat equity into a path to belonging in America — the same is not true for Central Americans, Haitians or Venezuelans.

Campos-Medina says:

“TPS workers already belong in our American society. They are an intrinsic part of our economy and communities, and our political system ought to be thinking about ways that we can legally acknowledge their contributions via a path to permanency in their lives. TPS workers are fully employed because proving your employment status is a requirement of the program. And they are predominantly employed in industries that are important to the U.S. economy, like health care, construction and the logistics industry.

“To delegalize them is to displace a very productive workforce from those key industries that drive our economy right now. So, this extends beyond the individual. It disrupts local economies, increases labor shortages and heightens the vulnerability of immigrant workers to workplace exploitation. What is our responsibility as a society to workers who have given their lives, talent and allegiance to America? All previous generations of European immigrants could turn their sweat equity into a path to belonging in America. Why not Central Americans, Haitians or Venezuelans?”