WASHINGTON, DC – THE Trump administration has rescinded the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian migrants, a move that reverses an extension granted by the Biden administration.
On Thursday (Feb.20), Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem announced that Haiti’s TPS status would be terminated, opening the door for potential deportations. In a statement, the Department of Homeland Security explained, "Today, Secretary Noem vacated a decision by the previous administration to extend Haiti’s Temporary Protect Status (TPS) by 18 months. As part of this move, Haiti’s TPS will end on August 3, 2025, unless extended. This is part of President Trump’s promise to rescind policies that were magnets for illegal immigration and inconsistent with the law.”
The Trump administration has been intensifying efforts to curb illegal immigration, including Noem's recent rescinding of a similar TPS designation for Venezuelan migrants who fled their homeland.
Haitians were initially granted TPS following the devastating 2010 earthquake. Since then, the program has expanded, with more than 520,694 people currently eligible for the protection, up from an estimated 57,000 in 2010.
Critics argue that the TPS system has been exploited over the years. Haiti has been designated for TPS since 2010, and each extension has allowed more Haitian nationals, including those who entered the U.S. illegally, to qualify for legal protection.
TPS is a program available to nationals of certain designated countries, allowing them to reside temporarily in the U.S. even if they entered illegally. The Secretary of Homeland Security has the authority to designate a country for TPS if there is ongoing armed conflict, an environmental disaster, or other extraordinary and temporary conditions.
Earlier this month, immigration advocates filed lawsuits in an attempt to block the rescinding of TPS for Venezuelans, which was carried out by DHS Secretary Mayorkas in January.
"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."
