Overview:
The Trump administration has partially rescinded President Biden’s extension of Haiti’s Temporary Protected Status (TPS), moving the expiration date up by six months to August 2025. The decision has drawn sharp criticism from lawmakers and advocates, who warn that deporting Haitians amid the country’s ongoing crisis could be catastrophic.
The Trump administration announced Thursday it is “partially” vacating President Joe Biden’s July 2024 notice that extended Haiti’s Temporary Protected Status (TPS) by 18 months. The amendment, issued by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), accelerates the deportation timeline for Haitian TPS holders by six months, setting a new expiration date of Aug. 3, 2025, instead of Feb. 3, 2026.
“Biden and [DHS Secretary Alejandro] 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,” a DHS spokesperson said in a statement.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said the TPS system has been “exploited and abused for years,” allowing more Haitian nationals—“even those who entered the U.S. illegally”—to qualify for protected status.
Learn your rights and how to handle ICE interactions safely.
Haiti was first granted TPS in the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake that claimed an estimated 300,000 lives and caused billions of dollars in damage in the capital, Port-au-Prince. Since then, the designation has been renewed multiple times due to ongoing instability.
According to DHS figures, more than 500,000 Haitian nationals currently qualify for TPS following adjustments to eligibility criteria. The July 2024 extension had expanded protection to Haitians who had continuously resided in the U.S. since June 2024.
In addition to cutting TPS protections, the administration has also moved to expand deportation enforcement measures. A memo sent to ICE by the Trump administration in late January outlines measures allowing ICE to apply fast-track deportation powers to those whose legal status has expired through programs such as TPS, powers typically used for border apprehensions, potentially bypassing immigration courts.
Critics of the move argue the decision is both irresponsible and impractical, given Haiti’s worsening security and humanitarian crisis. Armed gangs now control an estimated 80% of Port-au-Prince, worsening the country’s instability.
Trump’s executive orders halt CBP One app, impacting Haitian migrants waiting for entry, and tighten deportation policies nationwide.
“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,” said Reps. Ayanna Pressley, Yvette Clarke, and Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, co-chairs of the House Haiti Caucus, in a statement.
“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,” they continued. “We should be doing everything possible to save lives and bring stability and safety to Haiti—not throwing vulnerable people in harm’s way.”
Editors Note: This is a developing story.