United States Cuts Short Deportation Protections for Haitians

The United States will end temporary protected status (TPS) for 500,000 Haitians living in the country in August, the Department of Homeland Security announced on Feb. 20. This comes despite deteriorating conditions in the Caribbean country, with armed gangs controlling much of the capital and the country at large, and reports of large-scale mass killings, state sanctioned executions and child executions, according to the United Nations.

TPS is granted by the president to nationals of designated countries facing unsafe conditions if they were to return to their home countries, such as armed conflict or environmental disasters.

With over one million people displaced and a humanitarian catastrophe continuing to unfold, advocates working on behalf of Haitians in the United States spoke out strongly against the Trump administration’s decision to end their protection from deportation in August 2025—six months earlier than the previously designated expiration date of February 2026.

“This decision threatens to uproot families, destabilize communities, undermine the American economy, and force deportations to a country in crisis,” the Haitian Bridge Alliance said in a statement.

Describing conditions in Haiti as “one of its worst humanitarian and security crises in modern history,” the advocacy group based in San Diego, California, not far from the border with Tijuana, Mexico, where Haitians make up the fourth largest migrant group after Central Americans, Venezuelans and Mexicans, referred to the Trump administration’s decision as “reckless,” “inhumane,” and “a violation of international human rights obligations.”

“The Trump Administration’s decision to cut short TPS protection contradicts this reality and will place thousands of lives in jeopardy,” the statement said.

Looking beyond the humanitarian impact, the Haitian Bridge Alliance describes ending TPS early for any of the 16 designated countries as an “economic disaster” for the United States. “Haitian TPS holders and other TPS holders from El Salvador, Honduras are integral to industries such as healthcare, construction, and hospitality, contributing over $4.3 billion in GDP annually,” the Haitian Bridge Alliance said. They pointed to data collected by the Center for American Progress that shows Haitian TPS holders contribute over $1.2 billion in taxes annually, supporting critical infrastructure, public services, and local economies.

“The Trump administration’s decision is not only cruel but also economically shortsighted,” the Haitian advocates said. Forcing over 500,000 Haitians out of the U.S. workforce will have impacts on U.S. businesses, especially amid ongoing labor shortages in the construction, manufacturing, and restaurant industries.

Guerline Jozef, Executive Director of Haitian Bridge Alliance, described the earlier deadline for deportation protections, and the end of any hopes for renewal, as “an outright attack on Haitian families who have built their lives in the United States.”

He went on to say, “It is cruel, unnecessary, and ignores the dire reality in Haiti. The potential deportation of over 500,000 Haitians is act of violence on black immigrants to a country crippled by instability will result in a humanitarian catastrophe. The Trump Administration must reverse this decision immediately and uphold its moral and legal responsibility to protect vulnerable populations. This decision once again proves that the current administration doesn’t have an “immigration’ issue or any desire to support ‘legal’ pathways but these decisions are deeply rooted in anti-black, anti-Haitian prejudices and white supremacists ideologies.”

Faith in action

Share with Haitian Creole speakers the recording of legal experts discussing “US immigration policies impacting Haitians: Now what?” hosted by the Haitian Response Coalition on Feb. 26. https://mogc.info/Haiti-2-26

Join the Lenten Prayer Vigils to Stand for Compassion on Mar. 14, Mar. 28, and Apr. 11 at 2pm ET, hosted by Church World Service, one of the faith-based organizations severely impacted by the U.S. government funding cuts to programs serving refugees and immigrants. https://mogc.info/CWS-PrayerVigil