Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) argued Tuesday that deporting immigrants with Temporary Protected Status (TPS) will push up labor costs across multiple sectors, following the Supreme Court’s 6-3 decision to let the Trump administration terminate protections for thousands of Haitians and Syrians.
“Well, who is going to be helping repair your home?” Ocasio-Cortez asked reporters outside the Capitol. “I can tell you long-term care is going to go up. Health care is going to rise. You know, hospital workers. There are a lot of costs that are going to go up by these mass disruptions of our labor market, driven by pretty repressive and non-data-backed decisions that are coming out of this White House and the Supreme Court.”
The ruling marks a major win for President Trump’s immigration crackdown. Justice Samuel Alito, writing for the majority, said federal courts lack jurisdiction over most of the claims and accused plaintiffs of trying “to capitalize on … heated language” from Trump and former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. The decision clears the way for the administration to end TPS designations that allow immigrants from designated countries to live and work legally in the United States.
Ocasio-Cortez highlighted that some Republicans from districts with large Haitian communities have also voiced concern. Four GOP House members signed a discharge petition to force a vote on a resolution requiring the Department of Homeland Security to extend TPS for Haiti through January 20, 2029. “So when I think of this issue, there’s certainly a coalition that’s possible, especially in places where the Haitian community … there have been so many really acknowledging really how necessary and valued they are,” she said, adding that the resolution could pass the House.
Representative Mike Lawler (R-NY), one of the Republicans on the petition, warned that terminating TPS for the roughly one-third of more than 350,000 Haitian TPS holders working in U.S. healthcare “will create a crisis in our hospitals, nursing homes and the I/DD [intellectual and developmental disabilities] community.” Lawler is co-sponsoring a bill with Representative Laura Gillen (D-NY) to extend Haitian TPS. Gillen called forcing a House vote “an important milestone to protect the lives of our Haitian friends and neighbors across the country.”
The broader economic impact of TPS terminations extends beyond healthcare. Many TPS holders work in construction, hospitality, and long-term care—industries already facing labor shortages. Ocasio-Cortez’s warning echoes concerns from business groups that deporting skilled workers will increase costs and disrupt supply chains. The debate also intersects with other policy battles, such as her push for antitrust action against tech giants, where labor market stability is a recurring theme.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin defended the administration’s position on CNN, arguing that “a lot of people that came over here 15, 20 years ago underneath TPS that’s already changed their status.” The Trump administration contends that TPS was designed as a temporary humanitarian measure, not a long-term immigration status.
As the political fight moves to Congress, Ocasio-Cortez sees an opportunity to build a bipartisan coalition around TPS extension. The outcome will have significant implications for hundreds of thousands of immigrants and the industries that rely on their labor, while also shaping the broader immigration debate ahead of the 2026 midterms.
