Haitians in US fear deportation after Trump revokes protection status

The Trump administration has revoked deportation protections for hundreds of thousands of Haitians in the United States, placing them at risk of removal this summer, according to official documents.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem signed the order this week, reversing an 18-month extension granted by the Biden administration, Caliber.Az reports via US media.

This means the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians will now expire in August instead of February 2026.

TPS allows individuals to remain in the U.S. if their home country is unsafe due to crises such as natural disasters or armed conflict. Over 500,000 Haitians are eligible under the scheme, which was first introduced after Haiti’s devastating 2010 earthquake.

The decision follows a similar move against Venezuelans last month, which stripped 600,000 people of their protected status from April. Advocacy groups have already launched legal challenges against both decisions, arguing they violate federal law.

Immigration rights activists warn that revoking protections could have dire consequences, given Haiti’s ongoing instability. “TPS has been a lifeline for Haitians amid severe political and economic turmoil,” said Ahilan Arulanantham, a legal expert on immigration policy.

Sherika Blanc, a Haitian woman living in the U.S. under TPS since 2010, said she was heartbroken by the decision. “We’re basically not wanted,” she said, adding that she was now considering leaving the country with her U.S.-born children.

By Aghakazim Guliyev