Mayor Lisa Brown issued the following statement on the U.S. Supreme Court’s Temporary Protected Status ruling:  

“Yesterday’s Supreme Court decision clears the way for the Trump Administration to strip people with Temporary Protected Status, like Spokane’s Haitian community, of their safeguards and puts them at risk of removal from the United States. These are people who fled extraordinary violence, political instability, and natural disasters in search of safety.    

“Instead of offering stability and a path forward, this decision leaves families in fear and puts lives at risk.    

“Here in Spokane, our Haitian neighbors are more than a policy debate. They are healthcare workers caring for patients, caregivers supporting our seniors and children, and employees keeping our businesses running. They have built lives here and strengthened our community. It’s ironic that on the verge of our nation’s 250th birthday, the promises represented by the Declaration of Independence and the Statue of Liberty are being broken daily.   

“Congress must act now to provide pathways to citizenship for those who want to pursue the American Dream.”