WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is revoking deportation safeguards for approximately 500,000 Haitian immigrants, potentially leading to their deportation and the loss of their work permits by August.
This decision, announced on Thursday, aligns with the Trump administration’s commitment to mass deportations and reducing the scope of Temporary Protected Status (TPS), a designation that was significantly expanded under the Biden administration to encompass about 1 million immigrants.
The Department of Homeland Security stated in a press release that it is reversing the Biden administration’s decision to extend TPS for Haitians. TPS grants legal status in the U.S. but does not offer a pathway to citizenship.
Those with TPS rely on the government for renewal of their status. Critics, including Republicans and the Trump administration, argue that TPS renewals have become routine, regardless of conditions in the individual’s home country.
“The TPS system has been exploited and abused for decades,” Homeland Security said in its announcement. “Haiti, for instance, has had TPS designation since 2010. Data indicates that each extension allowed more Haitian nationals, including those who entered the U.S. illegally, to qualify for legal protection.”
Homeland Security reported that approximately 57,000 Haitians were eligible for TPS in 2011, but this number had risen to 520,694 by July of the previous year.
“Sending 500,000 people back to a country with such high mortality rates is utterly inhumane,” stated Tessa Petit, a Haitian American and executive director at the Florida Immigrant Coalition, arguing that Haiti meets all necessary criteria for TPS protection. “We hope that in revisiting this decision, they will prioritize humanity over politics.”
Farah Larrieux, a 46-year-old Haitian who has been under TPS protection since 2010 after arriving in the U.S. in 2005, believes the decision reflects a disregard for the situation in Haiti.
“Nobody is safe in Haiti,” said Larrieux, who owns a communications business in South Florida, home to many Haitians in the U.S. “This disrupts the lives of people who have contributed so much to this country, giving their labor, their lives, and their sacrifices.”
The timeline for potential deportations after TPS expiration is unclear. Some individuals may seek alternative forms of protection, and large-scale deportations present logistical difficulties.
Jean Negot Bonheur Delva, Haiti’s migration director, stated that only 21 Haitians have been deported under the Trump administration, and they were already scheduled for deportation under Biden. According to Witness at the Border, an advocacy group tracking flight data, there were nine flights to Haiti in 2024.
Delva expressed concern about the impact of returning people to a country struggling with violence and homelessness affecting over 1 million people due to gang activity.
“It’s very sad that people who left Haiti in search of a better life elsewhere will be returning,” Delva said. “The insecurity and lack of resources will make them miserable.”
The U.N. reported over 5,600 deaths in Haiti last year. Many displaced people live in overcrowded, makeshift shelters, including abandoned government buildings, where sexual assault is increasingly common.
Gangs control 85% of Haiti’s capital and are expanding their territory. Recent massacres have resulted in the deaths of hundreds of civilians.
Delva mentioned that the Haitian government has established a commission to aid deportees.
“They are children of Haiti. A mother must welcome her children, wherever they come from,” he stated.
Congress established TPS in 1990 to prevent deportations to countries experiencing natural disasters or civil unrest, authorizing work permits in increments up to 18 months.
Near the end of the Biden administration, TPS protected 1 million immigrants from 17 countries, including Venezuela, Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, Afghanistan, Sudan, Ukraine, and Lebanon.
The Trump administration has already begun the process of ending TPS for Venezuelans.
Two non-profit organizations filed a lawsuit on Thursday challenging the decision.
—Associated Press journalists Evens Sanon in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and Gisela Salomon in Miami contributed to this report.
