A rally in support of the extension of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian immigrants before it expires on February 3 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, US, January 28, 2026.
(Miami) – The Trump administration’s move to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians has triggered widespread fear among Haitian communities in Florida of family separation, job loss, and deportation to a country engulfed by violence and a humanitarian crisis, Human Rights Watch and Sant La Haitian Neighborhood Center said today. The US Supreme Court’s June 25, 2026, decision allowing the termination to move forward has made those concerns immediate and sharp, leaving hundreds of thousands of Haitians at risk of losing protection.
TPS is a mechanism under US law that allows the executive branch to grant people of designated nationalities who are already in the United States the right to live and work in the country for a finite period, because conditions in their home countries are too dangerous to return people to. The Trump administration had moved to terminate TPS for Haitians, arguing that country conditions have improved and that the country’s “breakdown in governance” makes Haiti unable to control migration. A federal district court had temporarily blocked the termination on February 3, 2026. The Supreme Court reversed that order, allowing the termination decision to take effect while litigation continues.
“Without TPS protections, Haitians risk being sent back to one of the world’s most devastating human rights crises,” said Juanita Goebertus, Americas director at Human Rights Watch. “Congress should act swiftly to preserve TPS protections for Haitians and prevent that from happening.”
Some members of Congress have scrambled to address this looming crisis. On April 16, the House of Representatives passed legislation that would designate Haitians for TPS unt
