The impending end of Temporary Protected Status for workers has restaurant employers in turmoil

Thousands of previously legal workers could lose authorization to work overnight. Employers are not sure what to do.

By Lisa Jennings on Jul. 16, 2026


Thousands of people have worked legally in the U.S. for decades with TPS status. | Photo: Shutterstock.

Just two weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way for the Trump Administration to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) programs, restaurant employers have been left scrambling to understand how to comply.

Last month, the Supreme Court allowed Trump’s planned elimination of the extended TPS status for nationals from Haiti and Syria, though the ruling has had a ripple effect and is expected to impact those from Yemen, Ethiopia, Burma, South Sudan and Somalia. TPS extensions for Salvadorans and Venezuelans are also expected to end.

Because of the high court procedures, the decision was not formerly expected to go into effect until 32 days after the ruling, which would give roughly 350,000 Haitians and 4,000 Syrians with TPS status until late July to remain eligible to work, according to the American Immigration Council.

But the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), an arm of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), appears to be moving more quickly, giving employers various deadlines to verify or end employment for those workers over the next few weeks. The deadline is July 17 for TPS holders from some countries, and July 24 for others.

Ending TPS status is expected to impact thousands of people across the country who came to the U.S. for humanitarian reasons. Most left countries in crisis for one reason or another, and TPS status has allowed them to live and work legally.

The TPS program “made it possible for thousands of displaced persons to seek employment in a local restaurant and know they will not only have stable employment but that they can begin to build the support of a community,” said Sean Kennedy, the National Restaurant Association’s chief advocacy officer, in a statement. “Losing these employees because of the end of their TPS will be a blow to their employers, their colleagues, and their communities and is a reminder why comprehensive immigration reform is so important for the industry.”

Following the Supreme Court ruling, the National Restaurant Association in late June sent a letter to DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin seeking a transition period that would give employers more time to adjust to the impact of the ruling.

The letter, which was also signed by 12 state-level restaurant associations, stressed the immediate operational and compliance challenges for restaurant employers that had hired those temporary status workers legally.

Ending the TPS program so abruptly would create significant staffing shortfalls for restaurants, the letter argued.

The restaurant associations asked DHS to provide more of a transition period — for example, 90 to 120 days — before work authorization would end, giving restaurants more time to get through peak summer months.

“A short, orderly runway would give employers time to adjust without a sudden operational shock at the height of summer,” the letter said.

The associations also called for DHS to issue clear, usable employer compliance guidelines, as well as instructions for handling I-9 and E-Verify compliance for new hires.

And the letter asked that employers not be penalized during the transition, as they attempt to make good-faith efforts to reverify their workers.

Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association President and CEO Carol Dover said in a statement that the Supreme Court decision could have significant implications for more than 93,000 TPS holders in Florida, as well as for the hospitality and tourism industries that rely on such workers.

“Together, these individuals contribute an estimated $2.6 billion annually to Florida’s economy, underscoring the far-reaching impact this decision could have across our state,” said Dover.

Texas is home to an estimated 53,740 TPS recipients, according to the state restaurant association.

Those households contribute more than $256 million in federal taxes, $173.8 million in state and local taxes annually. Without Salvadoran, Haitian, and Honduran TPS holders, Texas’ GDP would lose $2.2 billion, the association said.

Restaurant operators like Dan Simpson, CEO of the 110-unit fast-casual chain Taziki’s Mediterranean Café, based in Birmingham, Alabama, said the TPS program has given many workers fleeing crisis the time to work and build a life as they moved toward citizenship.

He gave the example of one Venezuelan couple that arrived seeking asylum. They started working for Taziki’s on work permits at the entry level and worked their way into management. Now they are American citizens and homeowners.

Ending the program would hurt many on that path, he said. “Suddenly people become illegal overnight. And it puts employers in jeopardy.”

What’s frustrating as an employer, is the shifting rules, making it difficult to know how to respond, said Simpson. At Taziki’s, the plan is to address the issue on a case-by-case basis.

Simpson said he has become an advocate for immigration reform, spending time on Capitol Hill trying to help lawmakers understand the economic impact of the deportation push and the importance of creating a legal pathway for immigrants to work, especially as the U.S. population continues to decline.

He believes there are lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle, and even people in the White House, who support essential worker protections — though more behind the scenes.

And lawmakers need to hear from business owners, not lobbyists, to fully understand the economic impact this will have, said Simpson.

Meanwhile, he recommended that employers “start with empathy” by listening to their workers who might be affected by the TPS ruling.

“See what you can do within your immediate circle,” he said. “But also swing for the fences” in advocating for immigration reform.

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