Temporary Protected Status will end, risking deportation for hundreds of thousands.
Trump Rescinds Deportation Protection for Over 500,000 Haitians
Trump Rescinds Deportation Protection for Over 500,000 Haitians
The decision raises concerns amidst escalating violence and instability in Haiti.
The US Department of Homeland Security announced on Thursday that it will terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for approximately 500,000 Haitians, effective August 2025. This decision arrives in the context of worsening conditions in Haiti, where rampant gang violence controls about 85% of the capital, Port-au-Prince, and reports of sexual violence against children have surged by 1,000% last year, as stated by the United Nations.
Since resuming office, President Donald Trump has aggressively sought to reform the immigration system, pledging "mass deportations" of undocumented immigrants. During his campaign, Trump made controversial claims alleging that illegal immigrants from Haiti were involved in bizarre activities, such as consuming pets, which local officials have repeatedly debunked as false.
TPS is designed to provide temporary refuge to nationals of countries facing perilous situations, including armed conflict or natural disasters. Haitians have been recipients of this status since the catastrophic earthquake in 2010, but they will now face the potential loss of work permits and the threat of deportation. This move follows a similar Trump administration announcement that TPS will also be revoked for Venezuelans, a decision currently under legal challenge.
The Department of Homeland Security has characterized the TPS program as having been "exploited and abused," claiming it enabled Haitians who entered unlawfully to gain legal status. However, this announcement has drawn significant backlash. With over 5,600 fatalities due to gang violence in Haiti last year, and many families living in desperate conditions, critics, including Democratic Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, have labeled the decision “shameful." She emphasized that long-standing residents, who have lived in the U.S for up to 15 years, now face deportation simply for being Haitian.
Since resuming office, President Donald Trump has aggressively sought to reform the immigration system, pledging "mass deportations" of undocumented immigrants. During his campaign, Trump made controversial claims alleging that illegal immigrants from Haiti were involved in bizarre activities, such as consuming pets, which local officials have repeatedly debunked as false.
TPS is designed to provide temporary refuge to nationals of countries facing perilous situations, including armed conflict or natural disasters. Haitians have been recipients of this status since the catastrophic earthquake in 2010, but they will now face the potential loss of work permits and the threat of deportation. This move follows a similar Trump administration announcement that TPS will also be revoked for Venezuelans, a decision currently under legal challenge.
The Department of Homeland Security has characterized the TPS program as having been "exploited and abused," claiming it enabled Haitians who entered unlawfully to gain legal status. However, this announcement has drawn significant backlash. With over 5,600 fatalities due to gang violence in Haiti last year, and many families living in desperate conditions, critics, including Democratic Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, have labeled the decision “shameful." She emphasized that long-standing residents, who have lived in the U.S for up to 15 years, now face deportation simply for being Haitian.
