Securing TPS Protections to Strengthen America’s Workforce

Overview

America’s workforce is under pressure. Employers across critical sectors, from caregiving to construction, rely on Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders to stay operational. TPS is a legal, temporary immigration status granted by the Secretary of Homeland Security to nationals from countries facing crises such as armed conflict or natural disaster that prevent safe return.

TPS holders:

• Are eligible for an Employment Authorization Document (EAD), allowing them to work legally in the U.S.
  
• Are protected from deportation during the TPS designation
  
• May be eligible for travel authorization

These are legal, vetted workers who are already filling critical jobs. Ending their protection would immediately remove thousands from the workforce, leaving hospitals, care facilities, construction sites, restaurants, and farms severely understaffed.

Key Facts

• More than 1.2 million individuals are either receiving or eligible for TPS.
  
• 94.6% of TPS holders were employed in 2021, many working full-time or more
  
• In 2021 alone, TPS holders:
  
  • Contributed $2.2 billion in federal, state, and local taxes
    
  • Held $8 billion in spending power
    
  • Owned $19 billion in housing assets
    
• TPS holders are heavily represented in essential industries, including:
  
  • Healthcare
    
  • Construction
    
  • Food production
    
  • Hospitality
    
• More than 38,000 TPS holders are entrepreneurs who collectively generate $1.5 billion in business income
• TPS workers are disproportionately high in healthcare, especially home healthcare, there will be 9.3 million job openings for direct-care workers in the home healthcare sector over the next decade.

The Real Issue: A Legal Workforce at Risk

TPS holders are already helping meet urgent labor demands. They have passed background checks, pay taxes, and many have lived in the U.S. for decades. Stripping their protection would destabilize industries that are already struggling to fill essential roles, especially in elder care, where staffing shortages continue to grow.

Policy Recommendations

To strengthen the U.S. workforce, policymakers must:

• Extend and redesignate TPS for countries that continue to face unsafe conditions
  
• Ensure uninterrupted work authorization for current TPS holders
• Include TPS in long-term workforce strategies alongside other legal pathways to employment

Bottom Line

Removing TPS protections would deepen labor shortages and disrupt essential services across the country. These workers are legal, long-standing members of the American labor force. Their continued contributions are critical to our economy’s ability to function and grow.

In the News