Thursday February 20, 2025, Secretary of State Kristi Noem announced the reversal of the decision in June 2024, of the Biden administration which had extended the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti by 18 months until February 3, 2026. As part of this decision, TPS will end for Haiti (unless changed) on August 3, 2025, (6 months less) on this date, nearly 520,000 Haitians without status will find themselves in a precarious situation, exposed to a risk of expulsion...
“We are restoring the integrity of 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 temporary status. » specifies Secretary of State Noem in a press release.
Recall that TPS is a type of immigration status available to nationals of certain designated countries that allows foreigners, even if they entered the country illegally, to temporarily reside in the United States. It is the Secretary of Homeland Security who designates a foreign country for TPS in the event of an ongoing armed conflict, environmental disaster, or extraordinary and temporary conditions. “For decades, the TPS system has been exploited and abused. For example, Haiti has been designated for TPS since 2010. Data shows that each expansion of the country's TPS designation has allowed more Haitian nationals, even those who entered the United States illegally, to obtain legal protected status.
In May 2011, DHS estimated that 57,000 Haitians were eligible to enroll in TPS. As of August 2021, DHS estimated that 155,000 Haitians were eligible under the new designation. And in July 2024, the estimate jumped to 520,694. » we read in this press release
It remains to be seen whether Secretary of State Noem will decide to permanently end the TPS program for Haitians, which is likely given Trump's positions expressed during his election campaign...
Note that on January 29, 2025, Secretary Noem also canceled the TPS extension for nearly 600,000 Venezuelans which now expires in April 2025...
