Haitian Immigrants With Temporary Protected Status Stressed Over Programs’ Uncertainty Under Trump

Haitian immigrants with Temporary Protected Status (TPS) are expressing concerns about potential deportation under the Trump administration.

Haitian immigrants living in the U.S. under Temporary Protected Status (TPS) are facing the looming possibility that the program may end under Donald Trump’s administration.

For over 15 years, TPS has allowed thousands of Haitian immigrants to live and work legally in the U.S. with protection from deportation. As the Trump administration moves forward with plans to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) by August 2025, around 500,000 Haitian immigrants are faced with a life-altering choice: stay in the U.S. and fight for legal status or prepare to return to a home country grappling with political instability, gang violence, and severe economic struggles.

“The end of TPS gives me a headache,” Geslain Luma, a 29-year-old Haitian immigrant, told NBC News.

Luma learned that he was granted temporary protected status the same day Trump announced plans to cut the program short. Haitian communities around the country are sharing their fears of deportation.

“The community is worried,” said Rev. Samuel Nicolas, senior pastor of the Evangelical Crusade Christian Church in Flatbush, Brooklyn. “For over 15 years, these individuals have built their lives here, believing TPS would eventually lead to permanent residency. Now, they are watching that hope slip away.”

The Brooklyn-based church has been a refuge for Haitian immigrants for over five decades, offering various services such as food pantries, wellness programs, and legal support. The Flatbush community has become a refuge for many Haitian immigrants who came to the U.S. under TPS following the devastating 2005 earthquake in Haiti.

Abigail Desravines, 35, was among those who sought safety and stability after the tragedy. While she was able to secure a green card, she shared that living under TPS brought its own unique set of challenges.

“People think TPS is a free pass, but it’s not,” Desravines said. “You have to keep renewing, pay fees and live with the fear that it could end at any time. It’s not an easy path.”

In addition to paying fees, some colleges require TPS holders to pay tuition “out of pocket like international students,” she added. “Even though we lived in the U.S. for years, some colleges did not allow us in-state tuition.”

The potential end of the program will cause significant disruption, as many TPS holders are employed, attending school, and integrated into their communities. For those now facing the threat of deportation, returning to Haiti feels overwhelming, with some even describing the prospect as inhumane given the country’s ongoing instability.

“Haiti is not in a place where people with TPS or those under humanitarian programs can return,” Nicolas said. “Haiti is being overrun by armed groups and the infrastructure is barely functioning.”

Immigrant advocacy groups are urging lawmakers to take action to protect TPS holders by advocating for a path to residency for those who have lived in the U.S. for years. A coalition of organizations filed a March 10 lawsuit to block the Trump administration’s attempt to end TPS for Haitians prematurely.