500,000 Haitians at Risk of Deportation

July 4—On June 27 the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a statement that, “Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem today announced the termination of Temporary Protected Status for Haiti.” The DHS statement continues that Secretary Noem has absurdly, “determined that conditions in Haiti no longer meet the TPS statutory requirements,” despite a “Level 4 Travel Alert” and “Do not Travel” advisory due to mob killings and other horrific crimes, concluded that conditions in the country have improved sufficiently for Haitians in the U.S. to return. The protected status will be officially terminated on Sept. 2.

A total of 1.1 million TPS holders legally live in America. Haitian immigrants have one of the highest rates of gaining U.S. citizenship and permanent legal status with a Green Card and usually arrive in the U.S. with the aid of sponsorship from a family member, according to the Migration Policy Institute. Many Haitians are now parents to U.S.-born children. Florida alone has over 128,000 Haitians with TPS, who have jobs in health care, hospitality, agriculture and construction—industries already facing steep labor shortages. Some Haitians are homeowners and/or run small businesses.

The Temporary Protected Status program was started in 1990 to allow the federal government to grant protection from deportation to undocumented immigrants from countries experiencing war, disaster, or other crises. Having this protected status allows people to get a driver’s license and receive a Social Security number, a requirement to work legally in the United States, and to file taxes, but they do not have access to any federal public benefits, including Social Security benefits.