Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced on Apr. 13 that he is co-leading a group of 19 attorneys general in filing an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court, asking it to maintain Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designations for immigrants from Haiti and Syria. The brief was filed in the cases Trump v. Miot and Mullin v. Doe, challenging the Trump administration’s attempt to end TPS protections for these groups.
The case has significance for thousands of Haitian and Syrian immigrants living in the United States under TPS, which allows them to stay and work legally due to unsafe conditions in their home countries. The outcome could affect families, economies, and essential services provided by these communities.
“I am a proud son of Haitian immigrants, so this issue is personal to me,” Raoul said. “TPS protects the health and safety of Haitian and Syrian immigrants who significantly contribute to our state and national economies. I will continue to work with my colleagues in urging the U.S. Supreme Court to extend the protection they deserve.”
TPS was created by Congress as a humanitarian measure for people unable to return home due to war or disaster. Haitians have been eligible since 2010 following a major earthquake; Syrians since 2012 after civil war began there. Both designations have been extended multiple times because conditions remain dangerous, including violence, food insecurity, lack of healthcare access, homelessness, starvation in Haiti, and ongoing conflict in Syria.
In November 2025, the Trump administration moved to terminate TPS for both groups despite no evidence that risks had lessened; at that time both countries were classified as “Level 4: Do Not Travel” by the U.S. State Department—the highest risk category available.
Lower courts blocked those terminations earlier this year while litigation continues; now the Supreme Court is set to decide whether those blocks should remain until final decisions are made on TPS’s future for these populations.
Raoul’s office says ending TPS would separate families and harm public health as well as local economies—together Haitians and Syrians under TPS contribute over $3.5 billion annually nationwide through various roles such as healthcare providers or business owners.
The Illinois Attorney General has advocated broadly for vulnerable groups including workers, immigrants and seniors according to its official website. The office also handles thousands of consumer complaints each year according to its official website, aims at protecting consumers while promoting safer communities according to its official website, extends advocacy efforts statewide according to its official website, partners with law enforcement agencies according to its official website, and offers services like complaint filing related to consumer fraud or civil rights issues according to its official website.
Raoul concluded his remarks by stressing continued collaboration among attorneys general across states: “I will continue working with my colleagues…to extend protection they deserve.” The Supreme Court’s decision will determine whether temporary protections remain while broader legal questions are resolved.
