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People stand near debris on a street on October 6, 2025 in the Solino neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, as residents have begun returning to the area after it was attacked by gang fighters in late 2024. More than 16,000 people have been killed in armed violence in Haiti since the start of 2022, the United Nations said on October 2, warning that “the worst may be yet to come”. The poorest country in the Americas, Haiti has long suffered at the hands of violent criminal gangs that commit murders, rapes, looting, and kidnappings against a backdrop of chronic political instability.
AFP via Getty Images
The Trump administration’s decision to end Temporary Protected Status, TPS, for up to a half million Haitians prompted an immediate wave of criticism from non-profit organizations working in Haiti, community activists and some Democratic lawmakers.
In its announcement on Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving, the Department of Homeland Security said it does not serve national interests to have Haitians legally living and working in the U.S. on a temporary basis, even though their unstable homeland faces one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
DHS said Secretary Kristi Noem “has determined that there are no extraordinary and temporary conditions in Haiti that prevent Haitian nationals (or aliens having no nationality who last habitually resided in Haiti) from returning in safety.”
The agency set a Feb. 3, 2026, deadline for leaving and said those who self-deport and use the CBP Home mobile application to report their departure will also be eligible for a complimentary plane ticket, a $1,000 exit bonus and noted there were potential future opportunities for legal immigration.
But the administration has already set up barriers for that to happen. Haiti is one of 19 countries covered by a travel ban that restricts nationals from entering the United States. That restriction was introduced earlier this year by President Donald Trump and applies to any Haitian who currently doesn’t have a valid U.S. visa.
Advocates for Haiti, from a Miami-Dade County commissioner to international groups, blasted the move in statement to the Miami Herald. It’s also likely to draw legal challenges:
* “Is this the way to give thanks to a people whose ancestors fought for U.S. independence, a people who by defeating the Napoleon army, allowed the U.S. to double its size through the Louisiana Purchase, thereby contributing to its wealth ? A people who continue to give their all to make this nation great.
“Haiti is going through one of the worst crisis in history; it is totally controlled by violent gangs , plagued by political violence and instability, with daily reports of killings, kidnappings, arson and collective gang rapes. Forcing anyone to return under these conditions could expose them to serious harm and possibly death.
“TPS holders work hard to take care of their families, send remittances back home and contribute about $21 billion annually to the U.S. economy, in addition to paying $5.2 billion in combined federal, payroll, state, and local taxes. I urge the Trump administration to reverse course and Congress to work promptly in a bi-partisan manner to blaze a path to protect these most deserving families.” —Miami Dade County Commissioner Marleine Bastien.
* “The Trump Administration, hellbent on ending TPS for Haitians, will be remembered for their cruelty and attacks against Haitians living lawfully in the United States. They must reverse course now.” — U.S. Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-New York, House Foreign Affairs Committee ranking member.
* “At World Relief, we’re heartbroken by this decision to press ahead with the termination of Temporary Protected Status for Haitians currently residing and working lawfully in the United States—though, at this point, after the Department of Homeland Security has sought to terminate TPS for lawfully present individuals from Afghanistan, Syria, South Sudan, Burma and Venezuela, we’re no longer surprised.
“As an organization that has operated in Haiti since 1988 in partnership with local churches, we are painfully aware that, whatever our government says, Haiti is not currently a safe place to which to deport hundreds of thousands of people, particularly after being hit hard by Hurricane Melissa less than a month ago. We pray that Secretary Noem will reconsider this decision and that Americans will both advocate for their Haitian neighbors in the U.S. and step up to provide further resources to come alongside brave Haitian leaders confronting one humanitarian crisis after another.” — Matthew Soerens, vice president of advocacy and policy at World Relief.
* “Blown away by the hatefulness, which seems to pervade our government leadership. Protected status, ha! Such a travesty, half a million Haitians have nowhere to return to. Breaks our heart… This just adds to the displacement problem. When will this end?
“America being great by disparaging the world’s most vulnerable people…really? So sad! Hope the challenges overwhelm the administration and they are forced to back down. This is a complete farce!!” — Dr. Ted Higgins, a retired vascular surgeon based in Kansas City who built and operates a medical center in Fond-Parisien along National Road 8, which connects Port-au-Prince to the Dominican capital of Santo Domingo
* “As Mayor of North Miami, I am deeply disappointed by the administration’s decision to end Haiti’s TPS designation. Every day, I hear from residents who cannot safely return due to political violence and instability, and Haiti simply cannot absorb hundreds of thousands of people right now. Announcing this on the eve of Thanksgiving is especially cruel to families already living in fear. As one of the cities with the largest Haitian communities in America, we are devastated.
“This moment demands compassion and responsible leadership. The Haitian community has shown remarkable resilience, and while this decision may shake us, it will not break our spirit.” — North Miami Mayor Alix Desulme
This story was originally published November 26, 2025 at 9:11 PM.
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Jacqueline Charles
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