US moves to end Haiti TPS, raising arrest and deportation risk for hundreds of thousands
Select a version of the text written from a presumed ideological perspective. This is not the original text, but a hypothetical version — how someone with that viewpoint might have phrased it. Tapping the current version again will return to the original or select cleaned version.
A federal judge lifted the block on ending temporary protected status for Haiti, prompting the Department of Homeland Security to begin enforcement actions that could lead to arrests and deportations.
A U.S. district court on Wednesday lifted the injunction that had prevented the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from terminating temporary protected status (TPS) for Haiti, clearing the way for the agency to resume enforcement actions. DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said the department is proceeding with arrests and that individuals may "self-deport" or be detained and removed.
TPS, a program created by Congress in 1990, grants legal status and work authorization to nationals from countries experiencing extraordinary conditions such as natural disasters or armed conflict. The program has been credited with adding an estimated $262 billion to the U.S. economy since 2001, according to advocacy group FWD.us.
The Supreme Court’s June decision removed judicial review of the program, allowing the Trump administration’s policy of ending TPS designations for several countries to take effect for Haiti and Syria, despite State Department travel advisories warning of severe risk.
More than 300,000 Haitian residents now face loss of legal status and possible removal unless they secure another form of relief, such as asylum or a green card. Removal orders for Haitians in immigration courts rose 96 % between March and June, and officials have begun using ankle monitors to track individuals.
Advocacy groups warn that returning to Haiti would expose deportees to widespread gang violence, kidnappings and a collapse of basic services. Similar concerns apply to smaller populations of Syrians, as well as TPS holders from El Salvador, Ukraine and Sudan, whose employment authorizations were also terminated by the court.
Business owners in sectors already experiencing labor shortages report difficulty retaining workers who have lost work permits. Lawmakers in the Senate are being urged to pass legislation extending TPS for Haiti, a measure that passed the House of Representatives in April.