The Trump administration is ending TPS for Haitians. Here’s what you need to know
More than half a million Haitians in the United States are facing the threat of deportation in a few months, after the Trump administration revoked an extension of Temporary Protected Status that had been put in place by the Biden administration.
The decision by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem this week means Haitians who have been able to live and work legally in the U.S. under TPS could find themselves without status and subject to deportation as of Aug. 3 if she doesn’t extend the protections.
The decision follows an earlier one by the Trump administration affecting more than 300,000 Venezuelans. Their TPS status will end on April 2.
Here is what to know about Temporary Protected Status and the precarious conditions Haitians face should they be forced to return to their home country.
What is Temporary Protected Status?
TPS is a federal program that provides a temporary safe haven in the U.S. for nationals of a foreign country that is in turmoil. That could include armed conflict, natural disasters, or other extraordinary conditions. Nationals of the designated country living in the U.S. are given temporary protection from deportation while being allowed to legally work. Besides Haiti, countries that currently have the status include El Salvador, Ethiopia, Nicaragua, Ukraine and Venezuela. To qualify, people must have been in the United States before a certain cutoff date that Homeland Security sets when it announces the designation or extension.
How long is TPS designation?
TPS can be granted in increment of six, 12 or 18 months. Employment authorizations are valid for the same period of time.
Is TPS status granted to migrants from affected countries automatically?
TPS is not automatic. People must apply, pay a filing fee and pass immigration screeninngs. People with certain criminal convictions or who have violated the human rights of others are not eligible for TPS. People who are inadmissible under certain immigration laws may have to get a waiver before they can be approved for TPS status.
When was Haiti granted TPS designation?
After years of pushing for TPS designation, advocates finally succeeded after the 2010 earthquake killed more than 300,000 people. President Barack Obama issued the designation for Haiti, which allowed tens of thousands of Haitians in the U.S. who years earlier had fled the violence under President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, to come out of the shadows.
Has TPS for Haitians ever been expanded?
The Biden administration first expanded the program to include Haitians who were in the U.S. before August 2021, following the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse on July 7, 2021. The administration later moved that cutoff date to November 2022 after extending and redesignating TPS for Haiti so more newly arrived Haitians could benefit from the program after gang violence expanded and Haiti suffered a devastating earthquake five weeks after Moïse’s killing.
What did Biden do before leaving office?
In June 2024 Biden issued a major expansion of TPS to Feb. 3, 2026. At the time, about 300,000 newly arrived Haitians who had been in the U.S. as of June 3, 2024, were eligible. He also extended the benefit for an estimated 200,000 Haitians who already had it. Both the re-designation and extensions were supposed to last through Feb. 3, 2026. The decisions were made to give Haitians in the U.S. a reprieve from deportation fears as a Kenya-led Multinational Security Support mission in Haiti struggles to fight back armed gangs.
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How many Haitians have TPS?
There are about 521,000 Haitians in the U.S. who qualify for the immigration protection, according to Homeland Security statistics. The number includes Haitians who arrived under a Biden-era two-year humanitarian parole program that Trump put a stop to on his first day back in office with an executive order. Haitian are the second-largest group of beneficiaries of TPS after Venezuelans.
Do Haitians on TPS contribute to the economy?
In 2022, before the program was expanded under Biden, Taisha Saintil, an immigration advocate, said Haitians eligible for TPS in the U.S., contribute $2.6 billion to the U.S. economy each year, and 81% of them are in the labor force, providing essential services.
Why was the TPS extension for Haitians terminated?
The Trump administration opposed the 18-month extension of TPS granted by President Biden before he left office. DHS said the decision to roll back the designation for Haitians “is part of President Trump’s promise to rescind policies that were magnets for illegal immigration and inconsistent with the law.”
DHS added that the “TPS system has been exploited and abused. For example, Haiti has been designated for TPS since 2010. The data shows each extension of the country’s TPS designation allowed more Haitian nationals, even those who entered the U.S. illegally, to qualify for legal protected status.”
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What are attorneys advising Haitian TPS beneficiaries?
Ira Kurzban, a prominent immigration attorney, told the Miami Herald that if anyone affected by the recent ruling has valid claims for political asylum they should file an application. Those who have final orders of removal from the U.S. can file a motion to reopen their case based on the ongoing violence in Haiti.
What is the current situation in Haiti?
Even with the presence of the Kenya-led security mission, gangs have continued to launch large-scale attacks. The powerful Viv Ansanm coalition forced more than 40,000 Haitians to flee their homes in the span of just one week last year. Armed groups have continued to expand to areas previously considered safe and now control up to 90% of the capital. More than 1 million Haitians have had to flee their homes, and more than 5,600 were killed last year. Rape and kidnappings remain a problem and journalists and human rights defenders have also come under attack. The violence has left more than 6 million people in need of humanitarian assistance and 5.4 million facing hunger.
If deported Haitians can go to areas of Haiti other than the capital, what is the problem?
Gangs control all critical roads in and out of the West region, which includes Port-au-Prince, the capital and main center of exports and imports. They recently took control of the last road leading to the southern regions. There are no international flights in and out of the capital, and no domestic air service, after armed gangs in November fired on three U.S. commercial jets. Flooding last year has washed out roads connecting the north to the capital, and gangs now occupy the homes of many of those people who left for the U.S., so many people deported to Haiti would find themselves homeless.
Is this Trump’s first effort to end TPS for Haitians?
No. During the presidential campaign, Trump promised to deport Haitians living in Springfield, Ohio after he and his team spread a fallacy about them eating their neighbor’s pets. During his first presidential term, Trump also moved to terminate the program in 2017 and 2018 for six countries: El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua and Sudan. Lawsuits were filed and Trump was ultimately unsuccessful. Fearing being sent back to Haiti, a number of Haitians illegally crossed the U.S.-Canadian border.
What has the United Nations said about deporting Haitians?
The U.N. has repeatedly called on the United States, Dominican Republic and other nations “to not forcibly return people to Haiti, including those who have had their asylum claims rejected.” The U.N.’s refugee agency has also issued guidance on how governments can protect fleeing Haitians, including access to temporary immigration relief, humanitarian visas and family reunification programs. It also emphasized that journalists, activists, judges, and “others fighting corruption and crime” should be among those considered for refugee protections.
This story was originally published February 22, 2025 at 5:30 AM.
