WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, FWD.us released a new report detailing the economic contributions of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders and the significant consequences of efforts to terminate these protections for individuals, families, and the U.S. economy.
At the start of the Trump Administration, nearly 1.3 million people in the United States held TPS. These individuals are part of American families and communities, living with approximately 390,000 U.S. citizen children and more than 410,000 U.S. citizen adults, and using their legal work authorization to support their households and local economies.
Despite these deep ties, the Trump Administration has moved to terminate protections for a large share of TPS holders, including more than 600,000 Venezuelans and roughly 330,000 Haitians. Not only do the conditions in these countries threaten the ability for people to safely return, but these families are now embedded into communities across the country. Ripping work authorization and protection from deportation from TPS holders undermines the economic prosperity of the communities where they live and threatens to separate hundreds of thousands of US citizens from their family members.
The report comes just days after a bipartisan majority in the U.S. House of Representatives took the rare step of advancing a discharge petition to force a vote on extending TPS for Haiti. This unusual procedural move underscores both the urgency of the issue and the growing bipartisan recognition that ending TPS would harm workers, families, and the broader economy.
“Ending TPS threatens the lives of hundreds of thousands of people who are already part of our workforce, already paying taxes, and already contributing billions to the U.S. economy. That is not just harmful to families, it is a direct hit to businesses and local economies that depend on them,” said Todd Schulte, President of FWD.us. “TPS holders are deeply embedded in key industries and communities across the country. At a time when we should be focused on economic growth and stability, efforts to terminate TPS are not just morally wrong, they are economically and socially devastating. The Trump Administration should be focused on solutions that keep people working and strengthen our economy, not policies that create unnecessary chaos and separate families.”
New data highlights that TPS holders contribute more than $29 billion annually to the U.S. economy and pay nearly $8 billion in combined federal, payroll, state, and local taxes. Since 2001, TPS holders have contributed an estimated $262 billion to the U.S. economy, including roughly $20 billion to Social Security.
More than 830,000 TPS holders are working across essential industries, including construction, healthcare, retail, manufacturing, and transportation. Many TPS holders have lived in the United States for decades and have labor force participation rates that meet or exceed those of U.S.-born workers in their prime working years.
The report also highlights the potential economic disruption that would result from ending TPS protections, including workforce shortages, lost economic output, and instability for families and communities across the country.
“The TPS program has long offered special legal protections to individuals in the United States who have fled countries facing natural disaster, civil war, and more. As this report shows, hundreds of thousands of TPS holders — many of whom have been living here for years, sometimes decades — have become part of our communities, work here legally, and contribute about $29 billion a year to our economy. But the Trump Administration continues to disregard both the reality of the danger to TPS holders and their economic contributions as they haphazardly try to terminate TPS designations across the board. As we fight to stop this lawless administration from carrying out politically motivated deportations, I will keep pushing to pass my SECURE Act, to provide a more certain path for these TPS holders and their families to stay safely in the United States and continue to call America their home,” said U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen.
“The Trump Administration has stripped Venezuelans of Temporary Protected Status, parole, and other critical protections, as well as unjustly deported refugees during a time of major instability in their country. In Central Florida, thousands of Venezuelans have fled political violence and joined family members already living in the United States, contributing to our economy, and working hard to help our community grow,” said Representative Darren Soto. “Now that the country is under Delcy Rodríguez’s grip after the administration ousted Dictator Nicolás Maduro with no plan to transition to democracy, it would be deeply insulting to turn our backs on this vulnerable group. I appreciate the support from my fellow Members on this discharge petition and urge leadership to bring the Venezuela TPS Act of 2025 to the floor for a vote immediately.”
The report release comes at an important moment, as the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments on April 29 on consolidated cases covering TPS terminations for Haiti and Syria. Lower courts have already found that the administration violated federal law in attempting to end these designations, and a decision is expected by the end of June. Notably, the Court declined the administration's request to immediately suspend lower court protections while the case proceeded — a departure from how it handled earlier TPS cases involving Venezuela. The administration is also asking the Court to make TPS termination decisions unreviewable by the courts entirely, an outcome that would put protections for all 1.3 million TPS holders at risk.
TPS holders are concentrated in states including Florida, Texas, California, New York, and Georgia, where they play a critical role in supporting local economies and meeting workforce needs.
The report reinforces what the House vote made clear: there is growing bipartisan support for policies that provide stability for workers and employers and reflect the economic reality of immigrant contributions.