Trump Administration Orders Employers to Dismiss Hundreds of Thousands of Migrant Workers

The Trump administration has instructed employers across the United States to terminate hundreds of thousands of foreign workers covered under humanitarian protection programs within the coming weeks, following the expiration of their work authorization.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued formal guidance to employers on Friday, outlining the changes.

According to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), work authorization for Haitian nationals protected under Temporary Protected Status (TPS) will expire on July 24. The agency also said TPS-related work authorization for nationals of Ethiopia, Myanmar, Somalia, South Sudan, Syria and Yemen will remain valid until July 17.

The move follows a U.S. Supreme Court decision last month allowing the Trump administration to proceed with ending TPS protections for Haitian and Syrian nationals.

As a result, about 330,000 Haitians, 6,100 Syrians and nearly 20,000 other migrants could lose their jobs and face possible deportation. Temporary Protected Status is a humanitarian program that allows foreign nationals to live and work in the United States when conditions such as war, natural disasters or political instability make it unsafe for them to return to their home countries.

Frequent changes to work authorization deadlines have created confusion among employers. Some have already dismissed affected workers, while others remain uncertain about how to proceed amid concerns over potential legal complications.

Jacob Monty, legal counsel for the American Business Immigration Coalition, said TPS has not been completely terminated and argued that USCIS could have provided clearer guidance.

"The uncertainty has led many employers to lay off workers before they were required to do so," he said.

A significant number of TPS beneficiaries are employed in the U.S. healthcare sector, nursing homes, manufacturing, construction and transportation industries.

Meanwhile, attorneys representing Haitian and Syrian nationals have argued that the decision to end TPS protections is politically motivated, premeditated and driven by racial bias.

Immigrant rights advocates have also strongly criticized the move, saying security conditions in many of the affected countries remain unstable. They warned that forcing beneficiaries to return could expose them to serious humanitarian risks.