ICE prepares to increase arrests and deportations of Haitian migrants as TPS ends

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is preparing to intensify arrests of Haitian migrants in Ohio and to arrange rapid deportation flights to Haiti, according to internal agency documents obtained by CBS News. The move comes as more than 300,000 Haitians are expected to lose Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and associated work permits after a Supreme Court ruling upheld the administration’s effort to end the program.

The documents indicate that the operations could begin within days, though the exact scale remains unclear. ICE officials, who asked to remain anonymous, said the plans are still being refined and have not been publicly disclosed.

The Department of Homeland Security declined to comment on specific operations, stating it does not discuss ongoing or future activities. In a statement, DHS described TPS as a “defacto amnesty program” and suggested that individuals whose status expires should consider self-deportation, adding,

"What we would say now is it's closing time which means you don't have to go home, but you can't stay here. The good news is it's not too late to get a $2,600 check and a free flight home."

Humanitarian concerns have been raised because Haiti is experiencing widespread violence and instability, with large parts of the country controlled by criminal gangs. The State Department currently advises U.S. citizens against travel to Haiti.

TPS, created by Congress in 1990, provides temporary work authorization and protection from removal for nationals of countries experiencing armed conflict, natural disaster, or other extraordinary conditions. The program for Haiti was first established after the 2010 earthquake, and most current beneficiaries entered the United States during the Biden administration, either irregularly or through programs later terminated by the Trump administration.

Legal challenges to ending Haiti’s TPS have cited alleged racial bias in prior statements by officials, but the Supreme Court’s recent decision held that federal law limits judicial review of TPS determinations. ICE’s broader enforcement activity has increased this summer as the agency seeks to meet a target of 2,000 daily arrests, following a period of reduced large-scale roundups after incidents involving the deaths of U.S. citizens during a deployment in Minneapolis.