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Know This Now, January 23, 2026:  Seniors Will Lose Lifeline Workers as Haitian TPS Faces Cancellation

By January 23, 2026No Comments

Seniors Will Lose Lifeline Workers as Haitian TPS Faces Cancellation
Warns New National Initiative Uniting ABIC Action, LeadingAge, National TPS Alliance, SEIU, and National Domestic Workers Alliance



Leading immigration advocates, aging-services providers, and labor organizations launched the “Care for Seniors, Care for America” campaign at a press conference Thursday highlighting the critical role immigrant workers play in elder care and the urgent threat posed by the impending termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti.

The event, covered by the Miami Herald, brought together Rep. Maxwell Alejandro Frost (D–FL-10), Congressional Black Caucus Chair Rep. Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY-09), and representatives from ABIC Action, LeadingAge, National TPS Alliance, Service Employees International Union (SEIU), National Domestic Workers Alliance, Haitian Bridge Alliance, Black Alliance for Just Immigration, National Immigration Law Center, and Goodwin Living to sound the alarm on the February 3 TPS expiration deadline.

Rep. Frost announced that members of the Haiti Caucus and the Congressional Black Caucus are introducing a discharge petition to force a vote in the House on extending TPS for Haiti.
Watch the full press conference or watch highlight clips on Instagram, X or TikTok.

If TPS expires, over 350,000 Haitian nationals will face deportation, including the healthcare workers who are essential to America’s elder care system. TPS holders represent 15% of all noncitizen healthcare workers, with over 20% of Haitians nationwide employed in healthcare roles.

The “Care for Seniors, Care for America” campaign aims to advance solutions, including:

  • Work permits for the long-term critical workforce supporting elder care
  • Protection of the safety, dignity, and well-being of America’s seniors
  • Prevention of devastating economic consequences from mass deportations
  • Strengthening the workforce that enables dignified care for aging Americans

Hear from a few of the press conference participants:

“Our lives are not temporary. We are parents, workers and caregivers…We urge everyone to work together, to look for a legislative solution.”

-Arnoldo Diaz, Co-coordinator of the National TPS Alliance

Rep. Maxwell Alejandro Frost (D–FL-10) (watch highlights of his remarks): 

“[Haitians on TPS] are the people taking care of our seniors, the people taking care of our children, the people who are helping our economy. They’re paying more in taxes than they’re taking out.”

Rep. Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY-09), Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus: 

“Haitians of all ages have planted and grown roots in the United States over the past 15 years, …These are people who have raised their children, started businesses, contributed to their communities, at no risk of deportation for no other reason other than being Haitian.”

Luis Zaldivar, Project Director, American Business Immigration Coalition Action (watch highlights of his remarks):

“TPS recipients and Deferred Enforcement Departure recipients living in the United States contribute $4.6 billion in taxes, including personal income, property sales and excise taxes. TPS and DED holders contribute $690 million each year into Social Security.”

Katie Smith Sloan, President and CEO, LeadingAge:

“The aging services workforce has, for years, been highly dependent on an immigrant workforce. 28% of the direct care workforce is foreign-born… We cannot hope to deliver the level of care needed without an adequate workforce, without workers, there simply is no care.”

Katia Guillaume, Service Employees International Union, SEIU: 

“Let’s take a look at what February 4 would look like if the proposed extension doesn’t happen, what would happen to our hospitals? Cancellations of important surgeries, clients not able to get the valued care that they need from their personal care assistants, and residents in nursing homes would not be waking up to their favorite CNA.” 

Teofila Liriano, homecare worker, member, National Domestic Workers Alliance: 

“This work is very demanding. We are the handkerchief for the tears of our patients. We take them to the doctor, we help dress them, we make their beds. We do everything that they can no longer do…The need is immense.”

More from the ABIC Network

The New Republic: There Is No Bigger Kitchen-Table Issue Than ICE 

TNR reports ICE’s aggressive deportation campaigns are a major driver of everyday economic pain, making immigration enforcement a core “kitchen-table” issue. Raids and deportations are disrupting industries that rely heavily on immigrant labor, especially agriculture, restaurants, and construction, which in turn raises grocery prices, strains small businesses, and worsens the housing shortage.

“Agricultural advocates were sounding the alarm as early as April 2025 after the American Business Immigration Coalition determined that mass deportation, nationwide, would shrink agricultural output by between $30 billion and $60 billion and push many farms to the breaking point,” the article states.

Dallas News: Border Crossings Fall, Immigration Enforcement Talk Rises In Texas’ Top Political Race
With crossings down, the Texas Senate race has pivoted to focus on interior enforcement, with Republicans backing ICE raids and Democrats pointing to economic and civil liberties fallout. Polling shows voters are more conflicted on the issue, having both border security concerns and recognition of immigrants’ economic role.

Mario Guerrero, executive director of the South Texas Builders Association and an ABIC member who joined our press conference last week said:  “The whole workforce, whether people have proper documentation or not, they’re all scared,” he said. “It’s affecting our businesses a lot.”

News From the Capitol:
CBS: Trump Says He Told Officials to “Lighten Up” On Immigration Crackdown


President Trump gave a White House briefing ahead of his trip to Davos, and made some new comments about immigration, including that he told administration officials, “You got to lighten up,” amid the immigration crackdown.

Trump said the focus should be on people with criminal records, but acknowledged that immigrants without such a history have been detained “every once and a while.”

“We’re focused on the murderers, the drug dealers, the mentally insane,” he said, though ICE data shows that 73.6% of current detainees have no criminal conviction.

The comments come shortly after Trump told the New York Times in early January:
“I’d love to have a comprehensive immigration policy, something that really worked. It’s about time for the country to have it.”

Axios: Trump’s Immigration Erosion

Private GOP polling shows support for Trump’s aggressive immigration policies slipping, particularly among independents, moderates, and minority voters, prompting some advisers to quietly suggest “recalibrating” enforcement optics. While Trump remains committed to mass deportations, he reportedly dislikes the way ICE operations, like the Minneapolis raids, appear publicly. High-profile critics, including Joe Rogan, have condemned militarized tactics.


Publicly, the White House continues to back tough enforcement, with threats to deploy the military in Minnesota, though more public polls continue to show voters souring on the tough enforcement tactics.

A recent Wall Street Journal poll showed 51%  of voters think President Trump has gone too far on deporting illegal immigrants, and a recent  Quinnipiac University national poll found 57% of voters disapprove of how ICE is enforcing immigration laws.

Reuters conducted a survey Jan 12-13 that shows 2 in 5 Republicans support minimizing harm even if ICE arrests drop:

Reuters: U.S House Approves Domestic Security Bill That Helps Fund Immigration Crackdown

The U.S. House of Representatives approved the fiscal 2026 Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding bill on January 22, 2026, by a 220–207 vote, despite Democratic opposition to President Trump’s deployment of masked federal agents in cities like Minneapolis as part of his immigration crackdown. The $64.4 billion bill funds DHS, FEMA, and the Coast Guard through September 30 and must pass the Senate before the January 30 deadline to avoid another government shutdown.

More News

NYTimes: Where Did All the American-Born Roofers Go?

Declining wages, weaker unions, and harsh working conditions made construction less attractive to Americans. Today, immigrants make up a large share of the workforce, and the industry faces a shortage of 300,000 workers.

Aggressive immigration enforcement and mass deportations risk slowing homebuilding, raising costs, and leaving projects unfinished. “Research has shown that aggressive deportation policies don’t increase jobs for citizens, but instead lead to fewer construction jobs across the industry, simply because work slows as fewer homes are built,” the article states.

“The idea that there are American workers waiting in the wings means you don’t understand the demographics of the construction workers,” said Natasha Iskander, a professor of urban planning and public service at N.Y.U.

Reuters: Small Minneapolis Say Business Has Been Hit Hard By Ice Crackdown, While Corporations Stay Silent

ICE raids in Minneapolis have heavily disrupted small, Latino-owned businesses along Lake Street, forcing some to reduce hours, close, or implement elaborate safety measures. Meanwhile, large corporations in the city, including Target, UnitedHealth, and General Mills, have remained largely silent. Business leaders are privately saying that the ICE crackdown is affecting the $350 billion regional economy, from small shops to major firms.

“There are impacts that roll up to Fortune 500 companies and all the way down to sole proprietors,” said Mike Logan, CEO of the Minneapolis Regional Chamber of Commerce.

NYTimes: An Idaho City Loses a Source of New Workers, After Cuts to Refugee Admissions

Twin Falls, Idaho, has long relied on refugees from places like Bosnia, Congo, and Myanmar to fill labor gaps in its booming dairy and food-processing industries. Refugees have contributed to the local economy, revitalized communities, and advanced into the middle class. Under the Trump administration, the U.S. refugee program has been drastically cut, leaving Twin Falls unable to meet labor needs.

Local businesses, including Chobani and Idaho Milk Products, warn that the shortage threatens expansion and could slow economic growth, highlighting the city’s dependence on refugee labor.

Wall Street Journal Op-ed: We Need Comprehensive Immigration Reform Now

Bernard Hebda, who leads the Catholic Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, writes that recent clashes in Minnesota over federal immigration enforcement make it clear that the U.S. can no longer delay meaningful immigration reform. Years of congressional inaction have turned what should be a complex policy discussion into a divisive political and cultural battle, contributing to strained communities and uncertainty for millions. 

“Immigration reform isn’t about erasing borders or demonizing newcomers. It’s about restoring moral order, strengthening families and promoting the common good….If we continue to delay, the debate will only grow more bitter and the solutions more elusive. The moment to act is now.”

Enforcement News
AP: Immigration Officers Assert Sweeping Power To Enter Homes Without A Judge’s Warrant, Memo Says

An internal ICE memo authorizes officers to forcibly enter homes using only administrative warrants, without a judge’s approval—reversing long-standing guidance tied to Fourth Amendment protections. The policy, revealed by whistleblowers, is being used to train officers amid an expanded deportation campaign and is expected to face legal challenges over potential constitutional violations.

Governing: Minnesota Braces for Statewide Economic Strike Over ICE Enforcement

A statewide strike on Friday aims to halt normal economic activity in response to expanded federal immigration enforcement activity in Minnesota. Thousands of union members, faith leaders, and residents are expected to participate, urging Minnesotans not to go to work, school, or shopping as part of the protest. 

Kate Havelin, a spokeswoman for Indivisible Twin Cities, said that while the work stoppage will be hard on businesses, many business owners “recognize that this is an emergency.” 

Watch: Maine businesses prepare for potential ICE activity: ‘I’m scared for my colleagues, and I’m scared for my neighbors”


As concerns grow over the potential presence of federal immigration agents in Maine, business owners in Portland and Lewiston are taking precautions to protect their employees and customers. 

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