July 2026 Newcomer Policy Update
Want to keep up with newcomer policy updates in the U.S.? Every month, Global Cleveland publishes our newcomer policy update so that you can stay informed about the latest news.
This month’s Newcomer Policy Update at a glance:
- Efforts in Congress underway to extend TPS for Haitians
- Birthright citizenship upheld
- Ohio named top state for business in the US
Efforts in Congress underway to extend TPS for Haitians
- A bipartisan effort has sought to extend – or redesignate – temporary protected status for Haitian nationals.
- The effort, which passed the House in June, has seen mostly democratic support but also some from the GOP, including from the Congress members representing South Florida.
- Rep. Carlos Gimenez, a Miami-area Republican, said that the situation in Haiti remained too dangerous.
- Efforts in the Senate were opposed by Senator Eric Schmitt, who argued that the program was created for emergencies, but was being abused to use as a permanent pathway.
- https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/court-order-pushes-back-haiti-tps-expiration-to-monday-rep-gimenez-says-he-supports-extension/3837806/
ICE surges at airports
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The New York Times has reported that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has ramped up enforcement at airports, including a broader scope of cases.
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ICE’s airport enforcement now includes those with expired visas, according to the article, a much larger group than was subject to this kind of enforcement before.
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Some individuals with expired visas are in something of a gray area, and historically were low priorities for deportation if they had not committed crimes.
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ICE is reportedly working with TSA on the enforcement actions.
ICE reportedly planning deportation options after Haiti ruling
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Following the July Supreme Court case that allowed for the revocation of temporary protected status for Haitian nationals, ICE is reportedly planning major operations to detain Haitians in the US without legal status.
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Reports indicated that the city of Springfield, Ohio will be a major target after the city’s Haitian community was the subject of widespread media coverage over the past two years.
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An official in Haiti told media that the Caribbean nation was expecting weekly deportation flights of about 250 people on each.
Administration ramps up civil fines for immigrants
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The Trump administration has increased its use of civil fines to encourage undocumented immigrants to leave the country.
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The Department of Homeland Security sent 100,000 people letters saying that they owed money, nearly $1,000 per each day they have stayed in the US after losing a case in court.
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While the legal right exists to implement these fees, they have not been widely used until the current term.
Supreme Court allows TPS to end for Haitians
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In a closely watched decision, the Supreme Court permitted temporary protected statues for Haitian and Syrian nationals to be revoked by the administration.
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TPS was originally issued for Haiti following the 2010 earthquake, while Syria was named to the TPS list following the outbreak of a civil war there a year later.
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The Supreme Court’s ruling stated that the termination of the status was not able to be overturned via judicial review.
Birthright citizenship upheld
- The Supreme Court ruled that President Trump’s 2025 executive order ending birthright citizenship was unconstitutional, a major ruling in one of the most controversial issues of the past year and a half.
- Ruling that the order violated the 14th amendment, it restores the previous policy that had been the law in the US wherein those born in the US would be US citizens, regardless of their parents citizenship, with only a few narrow exceptions for people who’s parents were not subject to US law.
- The administration had tried to restrict birthright citizenship by making the children of those in the US without legal status as well as the children of parents on some non immigrant visas ineligible.
Labor shortages feared after immigration decision
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The curtailing of TPS has raised concerns that it could lead to widespread labor shortages.
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About 70% of TPS recipients are in the labor force, and are often represented in healthcare and construction, two industries that have experienced workforce shortages in recent years.
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An estimated 350,000 people lost status this month, with another 190,000 facing the loss in September.
Ohio named top state for business in the US
- Ohio received the honor of being named the #1 State for business in the United States by CNBC.
- The State received high marks in the ranking for its infrastructure and cost of doing business (in both of which it ranked #1 in the country) as well as in innovation, its economy, cost of living, and access to capitol.
- The report noted that the state could still improve its ranking by improving workforce programs and investing more in education, but touted the state’s many years of consistent improvement that resulted in its #1 ranking.
- https://www.cnbc.com/2026/07/09/americas-top-states-for-business-full-rankings.html
University of Pennsylvania report on impact of TPS recipients
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A major new report form the University of Pennsylvania provided key insights into the economic impact of recipients of temporary protected status.
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The study found that the states with the largest populations of TPS holders included Florida, Texas, and New York.
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TPS holders, both men and women, have a higher workforce participation rate than the US born population, as well as a higher rate than immigrants here on other visas. Both men and women TPS holders had this higher rate.
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About 0.82% of Ohio’s foreign born labor force was on TPS.
