BOSTON — Emotions were boiling over on Beacon Hill Thursday as state leaders and advocates spoke strongly against a bombshell ruling on immigration by the US Supreme Court.
In a 6-3 ruling, the country’s highest court is now allowing the Trump administration to end temporary protective status (TPS) for Haitians and Syrians across the country who fled into the country from violence or natural disaster.
On the Grand Staircase inside the State House, Governor Maura Healey called the ruling a “cruel, callous approach to immigration.”
She continued, “These individuals are in the United States legally... Today, that changed with the swipe of a pen, the issuance of a decision by Donald Trump’s Supreme Court.”
Healey claimed Massachusetts is home to roughly 45,000 Haitians holding TPS status. Thousands more Syrians statewide are also in potential jeopardy of deportation.
Mayor Michelle Wu also spoke against the ruling.
“That is as un-American as it gets,” she said tearfully at the state house Thursday. “It is who we are to celebrate our neighbors, to do everything in our power to protect and defend the people we care about.”
The city claimed to have raised roughly $2.6 million in funds since March to support immigrant communities.
Haitian advocates like Dr. Geralde Gabeau said this was a day she never imagined could be possible.
“Enough is enough,” she said firmly.
In a message to the Supreme Court, she said, “I dare you to go to sleep tonight and sleep well when you know that more than 350,000 people are not going to be able to go to sleep!”
She finished, “We are going to fight, and I said by God’s grace, we will win!”
The state department issued travel warnings for Haiti and Syria and advised Americans not to travel there.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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