U.S. Ends Temporary Protected Status for Haitians Amidst Deepening Crisis
WASHINGTON D.C. โค- The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced wednesday โคit will terminate Temporary โขProtected Status โ(TPS) โฃfor Haitian nationals,impacting at least 350,000 individuals,with theโค protection endingโ February 2026.Theโฃ decision comes despite a rapidly deteriorating humanitarianโค and โขpolitical situation in Haiti, โraising concerns aboutโข the potential for a notable influxโข ofโฃ returnees โฃto โa country strugglingโฃ with widespread violence,โฃ a collapsing healthcare โขsystem, and limited accessโ to basic necessities.
TPS, which allows โforeignโ nationals to remainโ in the U.S.and workโค legally, had been repeatedly extendedโ for Haitians following the 2010 earthquake. The Bidenโ administrationโ hadโ previously extended the designation,โ but DHS now argues that conditions in Haiti no longer warrant the temporary protection, asserting that the โcontinued โคpresence of Haitians in theโ U.S. “misaligns” with the goal โฃof โaโ “secure, sovereign and self-sufficientโฃ Haiti.”
The move follows months โof legal challenges. In mid-2025,a federal judge blocked a previous โattempt by the โฃTrump Administration to end TPSโ for Haitians,finding โฃthatโ the administration had not followed proper legal โprocedures.DHS maintains its current review meets theโ necessaryโ criteria.โค
Though, the decision is being widely criticizedโข by humanitarianโฃ organizations and Haitian-American advocates. “If Haiti does notโ deserve TPS,โ what country โdeserves it?” questioned Guerline Jozef, co-founder of Haitian Bridge โAlliance, in โฃaโ statement โคto the miami Herald.”Washington knows perfectly well that the situation โคhas not improved; onโ the contrary, it hasโ gotten worse.”
Reports from organizations like Doctors Without Borders/Mรฉdecins Sans Frontiรจres highlight a dire situation in Haiti, withโข two out of five Haitians needing โurgent โคmedical attention. The collapse of the health system and lack of clean water areโ increasing โthe risk of epidemics, โnotably โamong children โandโค pregnant women. โค
Politically, Haiti โคremains unstable, having โnot held elections since 2016, and its state structure โฃis described as “practically disintegrated.” A UN-approved 5,500-strong Gang Suppression Force, intendedโฃ toโ address escalating โgang violence,โฃ has โฃyet to be deployed. Criminal gangs have reportedly expanded โtheir activities โdespite the planned intervention.
DHS stated in its announcement that TPS beneficiaries โshould โ”prepare toโข leave the country if you have no โคother legal basis to remain.” Theโ decision isโ expected โคto face legal โขchallenges.
