|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
The day after the decision allowing the Trump administration to end TPS for Haitians, the remarks of the American commentator sparked a wave of criticism on social media and among migrant advocates.
U.S. political commentator Megyn Kelly is at the center of a heated controversy after making comments deemed offensive to Haitian beneficiaries of Temporary Protected Status, the day after a U.S. Supreme Court decision allowing President Donald Trump’s administration to end this immigration protection.
During her show on Thursday, Megyn Kelly welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision before declaring: “Go back to f*cking Haiti.”These remarks, widely shared on social media and in several American media outlets, come at a time of strong polarization around immigration issues in the United States.
The Supreme Court’s decision allows the Trump administration to enforce its policy ending TPS for several nationalities, including Haitians, while legal proceedings continue in lower courts.TPS is a humanitarian program that allows nationals from countries facing armed conflicts, natural disasters, or major crises to live and work legally in the United States for a set period of time.
According to U.S. authorities, around 350,000 Haitian nationals were still benefiting from this protection at the time of the decision.
However, the ruling by the Supreme Court is not a final decision on the merits of the caseHe suspends the decisions of lower courts that had so far prevented the federal administration from carrying out the program’s elimination, while legal appeals continue.
Beyond the legal aspect, Megyn Kelly’s statements sparked a strong reaction.
In her remarks, the commentator also brought up several arguments already made in previous debates on immigration, including some accusations against Haitian communities settled in the state of Ohio..These claims had been challenged or denied at the time by several local authorities.
Several migrant rights organizations, as well as many internet users, condemned statements they consider xenophobic and stigmatizing toward the Haitian community.
For TPS recipients, the issue goes beyond political debate.
The program not only allows them to live legally in the United States, but also to get a work permit and support their families.
Ending it could eventually lead to the loss of this status for hundreds of thousands of people, depending on the outcome of ongoing court appeals.
The debate also remains open on the legislative front.
At the U.S. Congress, several Democratic lawmakers recently introduced a bill aimed at extending or making the protection granted to Haitian nationals more durable.
In this context, Megyn Kelly’s statements highlight the strong polarization surrounding U.S. immigration policy and the TPS issue today.
Migrant advocacy organizations have already announced their intention to pursue legal proceedings in order to definitively challenge the elimination of this protection.
