Haitians face deportation after losing protected status
Hundreds of thousands of Haitians in the United States lost Temporary Protected Status this week after a June 25 Supreme Court ruling allowed the Trump administration to end the humanitarian program, putting them at risk of deportation to a country gripped by gang violence and humanitarian collapse.
The elimination of TPS affects more than 300,000 Haitians nationwide, according to USA Today. Advocates say many played by the rules for years and now face removal to a homeland ranked among the world's most dangerous.
Key Takeaways
- A June 25 Supreme Court ruling cleared the way for ending TPS for Haitian and Syrian immigrants.
- More than 300,000 Haitians nationwide now risk deportation to a country facing gang control and hunger.
- Springfield, Ohio, residents have begun receiving DHS letters ordering ICE check-ins in Cincinnati.
- About 50,000 Haitians in Ohio are losing work authorization as protections expire.
- The State Department lists Haiti as Level 4 — Do Not Travel due to kidnapping, terrorism and violent crime.
What happened to Haitians with Temporary Protected Status?
Deportation protections for many Haitian and Syrian immigrants were terminated this week after the high court's 6-3 decision. The program had allowed people from imperiled nations to live and work temporarily in the United States.
Many Haitians received TPS after the 2010 earthquakes that killed more than 200,000 people. Florida is home to nearly half of the country's 1.1 million Haitian immigrants. Two-thirds of Haitian immigrants are concentrated in Miami, New York and Boston metro areas, per the Migration Policy Institute.
An MS NOW analysis estimates about 1.8 million immigrants have been stripped of lawful status under Trump's second term, including TPS holders and certain parole recipients. Immigration lawyer David Leopold of Ohio called the effort a campaign to "de-legalize" immigrants.
Why does ending TPS for Haitians matter now?
Haiti faces a severe humanitarian crisis. Armed gangs control nearly 90% of Port-au-Prince. More than half of Haiti's 12 million people are estimated to be in humanitarian need. Drone strikes have killed more than 1,200 people, including 17 children, since early last year, the International Rescue Committee reported.
The State Department designates Haiti as "Level 4 — Do Not Travel." Immigrants interviewed by MS NOW described return as facing a "war zone." Healthcare, construction, hospitality and caregiving industries could lose labor as workers lose legal status.
For more coverage of how policy shocks reshape communities and systems, see Future Tech & AI Wonders on BlasterPost.
How are Haitians in Ohio being affected?
About 15,000 Haitian immigrants live in Springfield, Ohio. As TPS expires, roughly 50,000 Haitians in Ohio are losing jobs, being forced to leave or becoming undocumented, News 5 Cleveland reported.
This week, Haitian residents in Springfield began receiving letters from DHS ordering them to report to ICE in Cincinnati. One woman was told to get detained on the spot or wear an ankle monitor until a court date, according to her interpreter. Gov. Mike DeWine has called ending TPS a mistake and said Haiti's situation is as dire as he has ever seen it.
Akron-Canton Airport continues to host ICE-affiliated charter deportation flights. The Ohio Immigrant Alliance planned protests at the airport entrance on Aug. 1. DHS has framed TPS as temporary, saying it was never meant to be permanent amnesty.