NEW YORK, United States (CMC) — Caribbean-American Democratic Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke has welcomed the ruling of a United States federal judge in Brooklyn, New York in favor of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian immigrants.

Judge Brian M. Cogan of the Federal District Court in Brooklyn earlier this month blocked President Donald Trump from ending TPS for more than 520,000 Haitians who are already in the United States.

Cogan ruled that the president’s attempt to suddenly rescind TPS for Haitians, many of whom have lived in the U.S. for more than a decade, is unlawful. The judge’s ruling preserves the Biden administration’s extension of TPS for Haitians until at least February 3, 2026.

“While Haiti continues to grapple with humanitarian, political and economic crises, and conditions continue to worsen without an end in sight, I am grateful for the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York’s decision to extend protections for Haitian nationals until February of next year,” Clarke, the daughter of Jamaican immigrants, who represents the 9th Congressional District in Brooklyn, told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) on Friday.

“Since the announcement that TPS would end in September for hundreds of thousands of Haitian migrants, my colleagues and I have relentlessly urged the Trump administration to extend protections for our most vulnerable neighbors,” added Clarke, chair of the Congressional Black Caucus. “And though the administration failed to uphold its moral and legal obligations to do so, thankfully, some semblance of justice persists in this nation, and Haitians will remain protected for the time being.”

Clarke said Haitian-Americans have “contributed immensely to our communities and our economy for decades”.

“They are a beautiful people, with a culture deeply rooted and tied to this nation, and they deserve more than temporary relief,” the congresswoman said. “It is vital we carry on the momentum of this victory and do not relent in our advocacy to secure their lasting safety and prosperity”.

“We must continue to encourage this administration to do everything in its power to save lives and bring stability to Haiti and security to its people. And that begins with extending Temporary Protected Status for those who need it most,” the congresswoman added.

New York State Assemblywoman Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn, the first Haitian-American serving in the New York State Legislature from New York City, also commended the federal court’s decision to block the Trump administration from “prematurely and cruelly ending Temporary Protected Status for Haitian nationals”.