Temporary Protected Status (TPS) is a United States program that provides protection from deportation and work permits to citizens of countries facing extraordinary conditions, such as armed conflict or natural disasters. Haiti has been a beneficiary of this status due to the political and social instability that has affected the country in recent years.
On February 20, 2025, the administration of President Donald Trump announced the revocation of the extension of TPS for Haiti, which had previously been extended until February 2026 by the administration of Joe Biden. This decision affects approximately 500,000 Haitians residing in the United States under this status, leaving them vulnerable to deportation beginning in August 2025.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem justified the revocation by arguing that the previous administration's extension of TPS had been unnecessary. Noem claimed that TPS had been misused, automatically extending status without considering current conditions in beneficiaries' home countries.
Haiti has been designated for TPS since 2010. Data shows that each extension of the country's TPS designation allowed more Haitian citizens, even those who entered the U.S. illegally, to qualify for legally protected status.
In May 2011, DHS estimated that 57,000 Haitians were eligible to apply for TPS. In August 2021, DHS estimated that 155,000 Haitians were eligible under the new designation. And by July 2024, the estimate had jumped to 520,694 .
For decades, the TPS system has been subject to exploitation and abuse. For example, a statement from a DHS spokeswoman:
“Biden and Mayorkas attempted to tie the hands of the Trump administration by extending Haiti’s Temporary Protected Status for 18 months, far longer than justified or necessary. We are restoring integrity to the TPS system, which has been abused and exploited by illegal immigrants for decades. President Trump and Secretary Noem are returning TPS to its original status: temporary.”
The move has raised concerns among immigrant rights advocates, who argue that the situation in Haiti remains precarious, with high levels of violence and a lack of basic infrastructure. Organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) have expressed their opposition, calling the revocation of TPS an inhumane action that puts the lives and well-being of thousands of people at risk.
Furthermore, the revocation of TPS for Haiti falls within a series of broader immigration policies implemented by the Trump administration, which include the revocation of similar protections for other countries, such as Venezuela. These actions have been the subject of controversy and have faced legal challenges in the courts.
The Trump administration's revocation of the extension of TPS for Haiti has created a climate of uncertainty and concern among beneficiaries and defenders of immigrant rights, who fear that this measure could have negative consequences for the safety and well-being of thousands of Haitians in the United States.
