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MIAMI (WSVN) – Residents and community leaders came together hand-in-hand in Miami to share a prayer after a judge decided to block the Trump administration’s efforts to remove temporary protected status for Haitians.
After state leaders reacted to Monday’s eleventh-hour ruling by Judge Ana C. Reyes earlier in the day, residents and local officials gathered in Miami’s Little Haiti neighborhood to stand in solidarity in the ongoing efforts to protect Haitians’ TPS status.
“Continue to bless our Haitian brothers and sisters who are terrified of being sent to a country that is in turmoil,” said Miami Commissioner Christine King.
The prayer vigil served as a show of support from the community to those worried about their future in the United States after the Trump administration said it planned to appeal Reyes’ ruling to temporarily block the move to end TPS for Haitians.
“We can take a slight breath but we have to keep fighting,” said King.
The designation allows roughly 350,000 Haitians to live and work in the US. It was originally set to expire on Tuesday until Reyes’ ruling.
In her ruling from Monday, Reyes granted a stay to prevent the termination of TPS for Haitians while a lawsuit challenging it proceeds.
“During the stay, the Termination shall be null, void, and of no legal effect.”
At Tuesday night’s vigil, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said it’s not safe for Haitians to return home and called on Florida’s congressional delegation to act.
“We see the conditions. They are devastatingly dangerous. There is no economy, there’s no safety, there’s no healthcare system, no educational system, no safe travel,” said Levine Cava.
Earlier in the day, Farah Lariux, a TPS recipient since 2010, was joined by officials in North Miami to share the emotions she felt after learning about Reyes’ ruling.
“[I] woke up with a sense of revival after suffering extreme anxiety, fear and uncertainty for many weeks,” said Lariux.
Lariux is one of the roughly 158,000 Haitians living in Florida because of the program.
TPS was first granted for Haitians in 2010 following a devastating earthquake caused extensive damage across the country. The protection has been extended multiple times.
The Trump administration has attempted to terminate the designation for Haitians on several occasions, arguing the program was never intended to be used indefinitely.
“It has always been meant to be temporary,” said Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
Over the weekend, Noem stopped by Miami International Airport for a press conference, saying Haitians have other avenues available to them besides TPS.
“Any individual who is from a country where TPS is expiring has an opportunity to appeal that and to look if there’s another program they may qualify for,” said Noem.
During Tuesday night’s vigil, Levine Cava responded to Noem’s comments.
“Very few options for the majority of these people and it’s not a time when the federal government is looking to help people,” said Levine Cava.
The Trump administration is expected to appeal Reyes’ decision, with Department of Homeland Security officials indicating the case will eventually be argued before the Supreme Court.
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Matthew Garcia
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