Haitian pregnant mother in Florida fears deportation after TPS termination
A 29-year-old Haitian expectant mother in Florida, who has lived in the U.S. since childhood, is hiding after the Trump administration ended Temporary Protected Status for Haitian nationals, leaving her without work, health insurance and fearing removal.
A 29-year-old Haitian woman living in Florida is hiding out after the U.S. government terminated the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program that had shielded more than 300,000 Haitian migrants. The decision, announced by the Trump administration this week, cited improved conditions in Haiti despite ongoing violence and a Level 4 travel advisory from the State Department.
The woman, who arrived in the United States at age six and has no remaining family in Haiti, said she lost her job when TPS expired and that her health insurance is set to end, leaving her unable to afford weekly appointments for her high-risk pregnancy. Her partner is a U.S. citizen, meaning their child would be an American citizen regardless of where the birth occurs.
"I wouldn't have anywhere to go," she told CBS News when asked about returning to Haiti.
"Yes, I do feel like I'm American. I've been in this country most of my life. This is the home that I know," she added.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement reportedly prepared to increase arrests and deportations of Haitian migrants just before the TPS deadline, according to ICE sources and federal documents obtained by reporters. The termination comes as a United Nations report documented over 600 gang-related killings in Haiti between March and July, and basic services remain suspended in many neighborhoods.
Florida, home to one of the nation’s largest Haitian communities, has seen streets in Miami’s Little Haiti become unusually quiet as residents grapple with the policy change.