GOP governor warns Trump over Haiti TPS push, calls it ‘a mistake’

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, a Republican, warned on Sunday that plans to deport Haitians with Temporary Protected Status (TPS) would be a “mistake,” breaking with the Trump administration’s approach as the issue gains urgency following a major Supreme Court ruling this week.

Speaking on CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday, DeWine argued that removing protections would not only send people back to dangerous conditions but also disrupt industries across the United States that rely on their labor—including in Ohio, where cities like Springfield have seen a significant influx of Haitian migrants in recent years.

DeWine said it is not in the United States’ interest to “yank them out,” describing them as “people who are working every single day, who are supporting a family, who are buying houses, fixing up old houses, starting businesses, and then put deep roots in this country and really are contributing.”

His comments came just days after the Supreme Court ruled 6–3 that the administration can move forward with ending TPS for hundreds of thousands of migrants, including Haitians and Syrians, clearing the way for changes that could affect their legal status and ability to remain in the country.

Newsweek reached out to the White House on Sunday.

Haiti Conditions Remain Unsafe

DeWine also noted the unsafe conditions in Haiti, describing a situation he said makes returns untenable.

“You cannot fly into Port-au-Prince today,” he said, citing continued airline restrictions due to security threats. He pointed to escalating gang violence and instability that have made daily life dangerous.

Those conditions are central to the TPS program, which allows migrants to remain in the United States when the federal government determines it is not safe for them to return to their home countries.

The U.S. State Department continues to warn Americans against travel to Haiti, citing widespread violence and instability—conditions that have worsened in recent years.

Supreme Court Reshapes TPS

The Supreme Court’s decision has sharply altered the policy landscape.

In its ruling, the court said federal law largely bars judges from reviewing decisions to terminate TPS, giving the executive branch broad authority to end protections.

The immediate result is that more than 350,000 Haitians and thousands of Syrians could lose the legal protections that allowed them to live and work in the U.S., after lower courts had briefly blocked those moves.

The legal battle played out alongside a wider political clash, including Trump’s false 2024 campaign claims that Haitians in Ohio were eating household pets. Those remarks were raised in court, but the conservative majority said challengers were unlikely to show the policy was driven by racial bias.

The ruling also makes it harder for immigrants or advocacy groups to challenge TPS terminations going forward, effectively shifting the issue out of the courts and into the hands of policymakers.

More broadly, legal analysts say the decision could affect over a million migrants from multiple countries whose status depends on TPS, reinforcing the program’s temporary nature and the government’s discretion to end it.

Mullin Signals Policy Direction

On the same program Sunday, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin outlined how the Trump administration intends to act now that legal barriers have been reduced.

Mullin said migrants on TPS will be expected to either secure another form of legal status or leave the United States.

“They should either apply for permanent status or we’ll help you get back to your country,” he said.

He added that the government is prepared to provide financial incentives to encourage voluntary departures.

“We will actually give you a plane ticket plus roughly $2,100 to help you reestablish when you get there,” Mullin said. “But temporary status…is NOT permanent status.”

The Department of Homeland Security has confirmed similar programs offering payments and travel assistance to migrants who choose to leave voluntarily, part of a broader effort to reduce reliance on temporary protections.

What TPS Means in Practice

Temporary Protected Status, created in 1990, provides short-term legal protection to migrants from countries experiencing armed conflict, natural disasters, or other crises. It allows recipients to live and work in the United States for designated periods that are reviewed and extended if conditions remain unsafe.

For Haitians, TPS dates back to a catastrophic earthquake in 2010 and has been extended multiple times due to continued instability.

Losing TPS does not automatically trigger immediate deportation, but it can have cascading consequences. Individuals may lose work permits, fall out of legal status, and become vulnerable to detention and removal over time.

Economic Concerns in the U.S.

DeWine stressed that the impact would not be limited to migrants.

He said Haitian workers have become deeply embedded in key sectors of the U.S. economy, particularly in areas facing labor shortages.

“It’s Haitians who many times are taking care of your mom or your dad,” he said, highlighting healthcare and elder care roles.

He also pointed to manufacturing and food production industries, where employers have relied on immigrant labor to fill gaps.

In parts of Ohio that have struggled since the decline of manufacturing, the arrival of Haitian workers has coincided with renewed economic activity, helping fill jobs, stabilize local businesses and, in some cases, push wages higher.

Local officials in Ohio, particularly in Springfield—where a growing Haitian population has become part of the workforce—have warned that removing workers could disrupt businesses, housing markets and essential services.

A Growing GOP Divide

DeWine’s comments underscore a divide within the Republican Party over how immigration policy plays out on the ground.

While the administration has emphasized enforcement and the temporary nature of TPS, some state leaders are increasingly focused on economic consequences and local workforce needs.

DeWine did not directly criticize Trump, but his language suggested clear disagreement with the policy direction.

“I would hope the administration would reconsider this,” he said.

A Policy Turning Point

The convergence of the Supreme Court ruling and the administration’s enforcement plans has created a turning point for TPS.

With legal challenges now harder to pursue, policymakers have greater flexibility to end protections, expand enforcement, and reshape how the program operates.

At the same time, the debate is no longer confined to abstract policy arguments. It now centers on real-world effects, from safety risks abroad to labor shortages at home.

For DeWine, the stakes are straightforward.

His warning suggests that decisions made in Washington about immigration policy could ripple across U.S. communities, affecting both people sent abroad and the economies they leave behind.