Republican Governor Breaks Ranks: DeWine Criticizes Supreme Court Ruling on Temporary Protected Status

On June 25, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that the Trump administration can terminate Temporary Protected Status for Haitians and Syrians. The next day, Republican Ohio Governor Mike DeWine publicly criticized the ruling, calling Trump's TPS policy a "job killer" that is "bad for Ohio".

"Today's decision is a legal decision," DeWine stated. "As I have stated in the past, the policy to remove these individuals from this country is a mistake".

DeWine has received Trump's endorsement in the past and supports the Republican nominee, yet has consistently broken with Trump on immigration policy targeting Haitian migrants.

The Ruling

Justice Samuel Alito wrote the majority opinion in Mullin v. Doe, joined by Chief Justice Roberts and Justices Thomas, Kavanaugh, Gorsuch, and Barrett. The Court concluded that the TPS statute bars judicial review of challenges to DHS's termination decisions, effectively preventing courts from delaying TPS terminations even if they involve potentially unlawful procedures.

The ruling immediately affects approximately 350,000 Haitian TPS holders nationwide and several thousand Syrian TPS holders. It could ultimately affect approximately 1.3 million TPS holders from 17 countries as existing protections expire and renewals are denied.

Justice Elena Kagan authored the dissent, joined by Justices Sotomayor and Jackson, warning of the consequences of insulating executive decisions from judicial oversight.

White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson called the ruling "a tremendous win" for the administration's immigration agenda. DHS general counsel James Percival defended the decision by emphasizing that "The T in TPS stands for TEMPORARY".

DeWine's Economic Case

More than 10,000 Haitian migrants live in Ohio under TPS, many concentrated in the Springfield area, where they work in manufacturing, warehouses, and other local businesses.

DeWine emphasized the absurdity of the sudden shift: "While these Haitians were working and contributing to our community and economy yesterday, today it's now illegal to employ them".

"Changing the immigration status of these individuals is not in the best interest of the United States nor Ohio," DeWine stated. "They are working daily, supporting families, buying and fixing houses, and starting businesses".

He also invoked humanitarian context, noting that "The situation in Haiti could hardly be much worse. The violent gangs run most of the country. The government barely functions. And, the economy is in shambles".

The Material Consequences

Approximately 5,000 Haitian TPS workers are employed in Ohio, including roughly 2,000 stockers and packers, 1,000 delivery drivers, 1,000 caregivers, and 1,000 in other high-demand roles such as manufacturing and healthcare.

Haitian TPS holders in Ohio contribute an estimated $160 million annually to the state's economy and pay $39 million in total taxes annually, including $21 million in state and local taxes and $18 million in federal and payroll taxes. Springfield Haitian TPS holders alone contribute $134 million annually to the local economy.

They have been credited with reversing years of population decline and helping manufacturers address labor shortages with reliable workers willing to work overtime. Local business and Chamber representatives describe the Haitian workforce as "drug-free, hardworking, and reliable," filling jobs that were unfilled before their arrival. Springfield is now home to ten new businesses opened by Haitian immigrants, including two restaurants, seven grocery stores, and one food truck.

Following the ruling, Haitian workers lose work authorization, and their driver's licenses expired on July 6, 2026, preventing them from legally working or commuting to jobs.

Pastor Keny Felix stated: "The Haitian community has revitalized a city that was dying".

The Broader Pattern

Nationwide, approximately 830,000 TPS holders are working in the U.S. labor force, including roughly 85,000 in manufacturing and large numbers in construction, wholesale and retail trade, leisure and hospitality, transportation, and business services. These workers add approximately $29 billion to the U.S. economy each year and pay about $7.8 billion in combined federal, payroll, state, and local taxes.

DeWine is not alone in breaking with his party. New York Republican Rep. Mike Lawler also opposed ending Haitian TPS, warning that revocation would trigger a major U.S. healthcare workforce crisis. Roughly one-third of the 350,000 Haitian TPS holders work in healthcare, making their removal a direct threat to hospitals, nursing homes, and home care agencies nationwide.

DeWine has publicly denied Trump's false claims during the 2024 campaign that Haitians were eating pets in Springfield, calling the rhetoric "vitriol" that hurts the city and its people. "I think it's a natural thing for me to support the nominee of my party," he has said—yet his consistent criticism of Trump's immigration policies shows the limits of party discipline when state economic stability is at stake.

The Greater Springfield Partnership, the city's Chamber of Commerce, explicitly stated it would make no public comments on the economic impact of TPS expiration, citing lack of localized data—revealing the political sensitivity even among business leaders.

What This Means for Federalism

By eliminating judicial review of TPS terminations, the ruling concentrates immigration enforcement power in the executive branch and leaves state governors with no legal recourse to protect their economies. DeWine's dissent highlights the core federalism tension: state leaders depend on workers and tax revenue that federal immigration policy can eliminate overnight, yet have no formal power to influence or block those decisions.

Whether economic pragmatism can create cross-partisan coalitions on migration remains uncertain. Neither DeWine nor Lawler has organized legislative resistance or coalition-building efforts. The key question is whether Republican governors facing worker shortages, tax revenue losses, and business pressure will prioritize their states' fiscal stability over federal immigration ideology.

For now, the ruling stands, TPS holders lose work authorization, and DeWine's criticism represents dissent without mechanism—revealing the limits of federalism when executive power meets judicial deference and party loyalty constrains local governance.