‘Couldn’t breathe’: TPS holders fear they’re now deportation targets following Supreme Court ruling

Immigration‘Couldn’t breathe’: TPS holders fear they’re now deportation targets following Supreme Court rulingImmigrants are reeling from the decision that leaves them vulnerable to removal after decades in the U.S.Listen to this article with a free profile00:0000:00Rebecca Zama holds a sign of support written in Haitian Creole that translates to "You Belong Here" during a news conference outside the State House in Boston on Thursday. Jessica Rinaldi / Boston Globe via Getty ImagesShareAdd NBC News to GoogleJune 26, 2026, 6:21 PM EDTBy Daniella SilvaWhen Harlaine, an emergency room and travel nurse, learned Thursday morning that the Supreme Court opened the door for the Trump administration to end immigration protections for Haitians like herself, she said the weight of the decision sliced through her.Limited time: Save 25% on NBC News subscriptionGet exclusive reporting, live Q&As and ad-free reading.“I just couldn’t breathe. I think I stopped breathing for a few minutes, and it was just like a heaviness on my chest,” said Harlaine, a recipient of Temporary Protected Status since her mid-30s. The program provides temporary humanitarian relief to people from countries experiencing war, natural disasters or other catastrophes. It also allows them to work legally in the country and shields them from deportation. Some have lived in the U.S. for decades. Harlaine feels desperate at the idea that she and potentially hundreds of thousands of others will suddenly lose their jobs once they lose their work permits without TPS status. She worked as a nurse in hospitals during the Covid pandemic with patients that included critically ill people on ventilators. “They’re starving us out, and they’re starving out our friends and family back home who have been depending on us,” said Harlaine, who asked that her last name not be used due to fear of immigration reprisal. As President Donald Trump has sought to end TPS protections for immigrants from 17 countries in his...