By Billal Rahman
Immigration Reporter
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Fears are growing within the Haitian community as thousands face deportation after President Donald Trump revoked Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian immigrants.
With 500,000 people at risk of being forced back to a country plagued by political instability and gang violence, advocates warned that the move is not only inhumane but describe by some as "mass murder."
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem announced on Thursday a rollback of deportation protections and work permits for Haitian TPS holders.
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The protections, now set to expire in August, overturned a Biden administration decision that had extended them until February 2026.
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The department said that one reason for allowing the protections to expire was the inclusion of people who entered the country illegally.
Tessa Petit, executive director of the Florida Immigrant Coalition and a Haitian immigrant, warned that the move will have dire consequences.
"Sending Haitians back to Haiti, over 500,000 of them, that it is inhumane and it's practically mass murder," Petit told Newsweek. "I have friends and family who have that status. I've spoken to some advocates who are community leaders who have expressed the concern that has already been growing in the Haitian community."
Gepsie M. Metellus, co-founder and executive director of the Haitian Neighborhood Center Sant La, said the overwhelming emotions of Haitian TPS holders are a "combination of anger, fear, disappointment and disenchantment."
For more than a decade, Haitian TPS holders have been legally living and working in the U.S. following the devastating 2010 earthquake in Haiti. Many have established deep roots, opening businesses, purchasing homes and contributing to the economy in essential sectors. Perhaps most crucially, thousands of them have American-born children who could now face the prospect of losing their parents to deportation.
"People have had their world turned upside down. It's like having the rug pulled from under them," Metellus told Newsweek. "I think the vast majority of TPS holders of Haitian descent, you know, have been living and working legally in the United States because that's what the TPS status offers.
"We'll also continue to increase the pressure on the administration to at least help them to understand, at least in the cases of Venezuela and Haiti, why this is not warranted, why it doesn't serve the security interests of the United States, why it doesn't serve the economic interests of the United States, and certainly does not reflect the humanitarian tradition of the American people, you know, the generosity of the American people."
The Trump administration's move to revoke TPS for Haitian immigrants is part of a broader effort to roll back Biden-era immigration policies. During the 2024 campaign, Trump and Vice President JD Vance targeted TPS and a now-terminated humanitarian parole program, arguing that they were misused and potentially unlawful.
The decision to end TPS for Haitian immigrants has sparked widespread criticism from immigrant rights groups, and lawmakers who argue that removing legal workers from the economy could create labor shortages and economic instability in many sectors.
Florida Democratic Representative Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, the daughter of Haitian immigrants, slammed the Trump administration's decision to revoke TPS for nearly a half-million Haitian workers. She warned that the abrupt removal of these workers would have "an immense and irreparable impact on businesses across the country and our economy at large."
She emphasized that Haitian TPS holders have been vital contributors to the U.S. economy, working legally and paying taxes while strengthening key industries such as health care, aviation, small businesses and education.
"Haitians with TPS status legally work and pay taxes in the U.S.," she said. "Across the country, they have strengthened our workforce, supporting our airports, our hospitals, our small businesses and our schools.
"This decision will jeopardize our national security and significantly affect and damage the economies of numerous communities nationwide. I urge the administration to revisit and reverse this decision."
A DHS spokesperson said in a statement: "Biden and Mayorkas attempted to tie the hands of the Trump administration by extending Haiti's Temporary Protected Status by 18 months—far longer than justified or necessary.
"We are returning integrity to the TPS system, which has been abused and exploited by illegal aliens for decades. President Trump and Secretary Noem are returning TPS to its original status: temporary."
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Democratic Representative Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts also condemned the decision, calling it "shameful" and a potential "death sentence" for thousands of Haitian nationals living in the U.S.
"With Haiti continuing to grapple with unspeakable violence and a horrific humanitarian, political and economic crisis, this is a shameful decision that could be a death sentence for more than 500,000 Haitian nationals living in the United States," Pressley said.
"Haitians who have lived in the United States for up to 15 years, raised children, started businesses and contributed to their communities are at risk of deportation for no reason other than being Haitian. We should be doing everything possible to save lives and bring stability and safety to Haiti—not throwing vulnerable people in harm's way. We urge the Trump Administration to immediately reverse this cruel and callous decision."
Noem this month revoked Biden-era TPS extensions for 600,000 Venezuelans. Protections for a large percentage of that group will now expire in April.
During the campaign, Vance spread a widely debunked claim that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, were eating local residents' pets—the unsubstantiated claim was echoed by Trump during his September debate with Vice President Kamala Harris. While the influx of new arrivals had already caused some tension in the community, Trump's remarks fueled further unrest, leading to multiple bomb threats against schools, health care facilities and other buildings in Springfield.
Haiti is currently grappling with extreme political instability and a surge in gang violence, leaving much of the country in crisis. Armed gangs now control about 80 percent of the capital, Port-au-Prince, engaging in kidnappings, extortion and deadly clashes with security forces.
The 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse further deepened the country's turmoil, creating a power vacuum that remains unresolved. Widespread poverty, food shortages and a collapsing health care system have exacerbated the humanitarian crisis, forcing more than a million people to flee their homes in search of safety.
As Haitians are thrust into the national conversation surrounding U.S. immigration, uncertainty looms for thousands of people.
"There are conversations about what are the options that are out there because going back to Haiti is not an option," Petit said. "So what are the other countries that could be welcoming to Haitians?"
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