‘We’re human beings’: Haitians in the US fear family separation and deportation to violence

Haitian Immigrants Face Expiration of Temporary Protected Status Protections

More than 330,000 Haitian nationals in the United States are scheduled to lose legal work authorization and protection from deportation when the Trump administration ends Temporary Protected Status for the group. An estimated 13,000 of those individuals work as nursing assistants, providing daily care to approximately 65,000 patients.

Temporary Protected Status is a statutory designation under U.S. immigration law that allows nationals of designated countries to remain and work legally when conditions in their home country, such as armed conflict or natural disaster, prevent safe return. The designation for Haiti was first granted in 2010 following an earthquake and has been extended multiple times. The statute states that TPS is temporary and does not create a direct path to permanent residency or a green card.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in June to uphold the administration’s termination of TPS for Haitian and Syrian nationals. The Department of Homeland Security has stated that conditions in Haiti have improved sufficiently to allow returns, though the State Department maintains a travel advisory against all travel to the country due to ongoing violence and a declared national state of emergency. The United Nations has reported continued high levels of gang-related violence in parts of Haiti.

A Haitian national working as a housekeeper in a New York nursing home, who spoke on condition of anonymity, described daily routines that include commuting by bus and cleaning resident rooms. The worker stated a preference to remain in the United States to continue employment and expressed fear of return to Haiti. A second Haitian national in New York, Pierre Etienne, a U.S. citizen whose family members hold TPS, said relatives had fled armed gang activity that displaced them from their neighborhoods.

A third Haitian national, who has lived in the United States since 2000 and also requested anonymity, said the pending loss of work authorization has created uncertainty regarding family finances and potential separation from U.S.-born children. The individual noted compliance with prior TPS registration, background checks, and renewal requirements.

Roxana Rivera, assistant to the president at Service Employees International Union Local 32BJ, which represents workers holding TPS, said the termination would affect workplaces that rely on immigrant labor and described difficulties filling vacancies in the service sector. Rivera attributed the policy to racial targeting of immigrants.

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin has stated that individuals whose TPS ends should pursue other available legal immigration options. A department spokesperson said TPS was never intended by Congress to function as a permanent program and that extensions in prior years had allowed it to operate beyond its statutory purpose. A White House spokesperson similarly noted that the status does not confer a pathway to permanent residency.

Asylum grant rates under the current administration have fallen below 5 percent, according to government data. No automatic conversion from TPS to lawful permanent resident status exists under current law.

The termination affects communities where Haitian nationals with TPS are employed in health care, hospitality, and other service industries. Employers in those sectors have previously reported reliance on workers holding the status to meet staffing needs.

One Haitian worker criticized public statements made during the 2024 presidential campaign regarding Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, including claims that some were consuming pets. The worker said such statements create workplace and community tension.

The Department of Homeland Security did not provide additional data on projected labor market effects or specific improvements cited in Haiti when asked about industry impacts. Officials have maintained that the statutory framework requires periodic review of country conditions and that TPS designations must remain time-limited.

Haitian nationals with TPS who lose status after the termination date will be subject to standard removal proceedings if they remain without other authorization. Family members who are U.S. citizens or hold separate legal status would not automatically lose their own immigration benefits.