Mayor Zohran Mamdani said on Monday that he personally appealed to President Donald Trump to restore protections for Haitian immigrants, as his administration moved to dismiss city workers who lost their legal authorization to work following the end of Temporary Protected Status.

Mamdani said he spoke with Trump before City Hall announced Friday that it was “forced by federal law” to review the work authorization of Haitian TPS holders and end the employment of those who could not establish another legal path to work.

“I spoke to the president prior to that, and I made clear to the president, as I've made clear to anyone across the city, the vital importance of TPS,” Mamdani said during an unrelated press conference on Aug. 10.

The mayor said he told Trump that restoring protections was of major importance to New York City and its economy.

“I spoke with the president and made it very clear that this is something of immense importance to this city, to our economy, and to the welfare of all those who call this city home,” Mamdani said.

City Hall said Friday that the Mamdani administration was required to “separate from” employees who relied on Haitian TPS for their work authorization and had not established an alternative legal status allowing them to work. A City Hall spokesperson said Monday that dozens of municipal employees are affected.

The administration said affected employees were being connected with agency staff to discuss their options, including “non-disciplinary separation or resignation,” as well as possible reinstatement if TPS is restored or they obtain another form of legal work authorization.

Mamdani on Monday defended his administration’s decision, saying the city held off until it believed federal law required it to act.

“We also wanted to make sure that we only took this action at the point at which it was legally required to do so, because this is not an action that we want to take in any which way or form,” Mamdani said.

Mamdani said waiting any longer could have come “to the detriment” of TPS holders who may have another legal status, giving the example of someone who also holds a student visa.

“We don't want to be hurting those New Yorkers' abilities to stay in the city,” he said.

Trump could directly grant Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) through a presidential memorandum, while formally restoring or redesignating TPS would run through the Homeland Security secretary, at the president's behest.

The dispute follows a June 25 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that cleared the way for the Trump administration’s termination of TPS protections for hundreds of thousands of Haitian and Syrian immigrants to take effect.

The court held that the TPS statute bars judicial review of non-constitutional challenges to the Homeland Security secretary’s decision to terminate a country's designation. The majority also found that Haitian plaintiffs were unlikely to succeed on an equal-protection claim challenging the termination.

Haiti was first designated for TPS in 2010 following a devastating earthquake. The federal government repeatedly extended or redesignated Haiti’s TPS designation before the Trump administration announced in November 2025 that Haiti's designation would be terminated.

Mamdani sharply condemned the Supreme Court ruling when it came down in June, appearing alongside Gov. Kathy Hochul, Attorney General Letitia James and immigrant advocates to promise that City Hall would support affected New Yorkers.

“I want to be clear, you are a New Yorker today, tomorrow, and every day, you are a New Yorker,” Mamdani said at the time to those impacted by the ruling. “As health care workers, as teachers, as organizers, you have not just made your home in New York City, you have dedicated your lives to New York City.”

He added then: “They may traffic in cruelty, yet we will lead with something even more powerful than that: solidarity. City Hall will stand with you and stand up for you.”

On Monday, Mamdani continued to press the case against ending the protections, arguing that conditions in Haiti remain dangerous and pointing to Haitian New Yorkers' role in industries including health care, construction and hospitality.

“We are talking about Haitian New Yorkers who have been truly at the heart of so many of the industries that power this city: healthcare, construction, hospitality, and city workers,” Mamdani said.

City Hall said Friday that affected TPS recipients would be offered free legal consultations to determine whether they qualify for another form of work authorization, along with help navigating health insurance and other resources.