Trump Zelenskyy Netanyahu meetings set as TPS deportation risk grows

The Trump Zelenskyy Netanyahu meetings are scheduled for today before funeral services for the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, NPR reported. The separate talks matter because Graham had been a leading advocate in Washington for both Ukraine and Israel, leaving their leaders to press their cases directly with President Trump.

NPR reported that Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are all expected to attend Graham’s funeral. Their attendance reflects respect for Graham and recognition that both foreign leaders have lost an important ally in their dealings with Trump and Washington, according to NPR.

Why is Trump meeting Zelenskyy and Netanyahu?

NPR’s Franco Ordoñez told Up First that Graham was a forceful supporter of Ukraine and Israel, and that few political figures can match the level of backing he provided. Ordoñez reported that Zelenskyy and Netanyahu now need to make to Trump the arguments Graham once made for them.

Zelenskyy is working to build support for Ukraine in its war against Russia, NPR reported. NPR also reported that Zelenskyy says Russia is sharing satellite imagery of U.S. military sites in the Gulf; Richard Fontaine, who served in the White House under President George W. Bush, described the situation to NPR as an “enemy of my enemy is my friend” scenario.

The White House told NPR that Trump and Netanyahu are expected to discuss the Iran conflict and a U.S.-brokered plan for Israeli forces to leave southern Lebanon. NPR reported that Netanyahu is also trying to repair a strained relationship with Trump after recent tensions, while the United States and Israel differ in their goals over the conflicts involving Iran and Lebanon.

What is Temporary Protected Status?

Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, lets nationals of designated countries live and work in the United States when conditions in their home countries make return unsafe or impractical, according to the context of NPR’s reporting. NPR reported that thousands of Haitians and Syrians could soon face deportation after the Supreme Court earlier this year allowed the Trump administration to revoke TPS for those groups.

Those immigrants will need to find another legal basis to remain in the country, NPR reported. In Columbus, Ohio, more than half of the nearly 30,000 Haitian immigrants rely on TPS, according to NPR; in nearby Springfield, about 12,000 Haitian immigrants have TPS.

NPR noted that Springfield became a focus of national attention after Trump and his allies made false claims that Haitian immigrants were eating cats and dogs. George Shillcock of NPR network station WOSU reported that many immigrants in Ohio are unsettled as they wait for clarity on their legal status.

Yola LaMarre of the Haitian Community Network told WOSU that many people are arranging their affairs and looking for other legal options to stay in the United States, where some have lived for more than a decade. The Department of Homeland Security told WOSU that conditions in Haiti have improved enough for Haitian nationals to return.

NPR reported that the U.S. Secretary of State’s Office still considers Haiti unsafe for travel. Commercial flights from the United States to Port-au-Prince are suspended, and the travel advisory cites crime, kidnapping, terrorism and limited health care, according to NPR.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has criticized the Supreme Court ruling and defended immigrants’ contributions to the state economy, especially in restaurants and health care, NPR reported. The competing assessments leave many TPS holders facing legal uncertainty while federal officials move to end protections for their groups.

This story draws on original reporting from NPR.