It's Friday. The final World Cup group stage match in Foxborough kicks off this afternoon — and it's the big one. France and Norway will play at 3 p.m. to determine the winner of Group I. In Cambridge, the city is holding a watch party for the game ahead of its annual public dance party in Central Square. (Click here to find other watch party options around Greater Boston.) But first, the news: Legal limbo: Local immigrant rights groups are urging the thousands of Haitians in Massachusetts living under Temporary Protected Status to talk to a lawyer ASAP, following yesterday's Supreme Court decision. The court's conservative majority ruled in a 6-3 decision that the federal government has the power to terminate TPS — which the Trump administration has been trying to do for migrants from Haiti, Syria and 11 other countries. The ruling means nearly 20,000 estimated Haitian TPS holders in Massachusetts who have been living and working legally could see their immigration status suddenly change to illegal, meaning they could lose their jobs and face deportation. - What are TPS holders' options? Sarang Sekhavat, the chief of staff for the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Coalition, advises local TPS holders to seek legal advice on their individual situation. TPS does not provide a direct path to citizenship, but individuals may be eligible — or already in the process of applying — for other legal immigrant statuses, such as a green card or asylum. "Consult with an attorney and see what your options are," Sekhavat told WBUR's John Bender. The Boston-based group Lawyers for Civil Rights is planning to launch a series of legal clinics in the coming weeks to help TPS recipients assess their eligibility for other forms of protection.
- What's next: The Supreme Court's decision does not mean TPS is immediately over, according to Attorney General Andrea Campbell. "You remain protected today," Campbell said at a press conference yesterday. "The termination of TPS is expected to go into effect once the Supreme Court formally issues its judgment." According to Campbell, that usually takes a month, though it could be more or less.
- In the meantime: Sekhavat said most local TPS holders have "very few good options" other than to stay put. The initial TPS designation for Haiti dates back to 2010, so many families have nowhere to go; some have American-born kids. Sekhavat expects the ruling will force many TPS holders "underground," working under the table and avoiding public places — "not going to the doctor's office, not sending your kids to school, not going grocery shopping," he said. "They're thrown into a situation where they can't even plan out their own lives," Sekhavat added.
- The big picture: Local officials said yesterday the ruling could hit Massachusetts' health and trades sectors hard, particularly home health aides. According to Campbell, "thousands of TPS holders" fill roles in the state's healthcare and elder care industries. Gov. Maura Healey's office said the state is working to share resources with employers and legal service providers.
- In Congress: Massachusetts' federal delegation is trying to push through legislation to extend TPS for Haitian migrants through 2029. The bill actually passed the House this spring, with a few Republican members joining Democrats in support. It hasn't yet come up for a vote in the Senate, but Sen. Ed Markey is leading the effort there. "We're going to be forcing the Republicans to deal with this moral crisis that is now in our country," Markey said.
- In related news: The Supreme Court also ruled yesterday that the government can turn away asylum seekers at the border, handing the Trump administration another win on immigration policy.
At the State House: Healey is pausing a state tax incentive program for data centers, just a month after it launched. The program, which Healey signed into law in 2024, gave local data center owners a sales tax exemption for construction costs, equipment and electricity. But Healey announced yesterday she was suspending the exemption until stricter state protections are in place for local residents and communities. She also released guidelines with water and pollution protections, and guarantees that nearby residents won't see increased energy costs. - The move comes amid growing opposition to data centers in Massachusetts communities — including attempts to ban them — as WBUR's Bianca Garcia recently reported. The centers are necessary for high-powered computing, like artificial intelligence. But nearby residents have complained about noise and air pollution, as well as the strain the centers put on the electric grid.
Night at the museum: The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum's first Thursdays are now every Thursday. The Boston museum announced yesterday that, beginning next week, it's expanding its monthly free admission night to a weekly occurrence, each Thursday evening from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. You just have to register in advance. (Registration will open each week on Tuesday at 10 a.m.) P.S.— Why did the Massachusetts' highest court block the rent control ballot initiative from moving forward? Take our Boston News Quiz and test your knowledge of this week's stories. |
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