Members of the Haitian community in New York City were deeply unsettled by the announcement that the Trump administration is terminating deportation protections, which may compel thousands to return to their troubled homeland. Elsie Saint Louis, director of the local organization Haitian Americans United for Progress, expressed the community’s distress on Friday, stating, “People are in shock. There is growing concern and fear for the future.”

On Thursday, the administration revealed that it will revoke Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for approximately 520,000 Haitians residing in the United States without permanent legal status. A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) indicated in a statement that the Trump administration aims to revert TPS to its original intent: temporary protection.

This policy change arrives as Haiti grapples with a multitude of crises, including environmental disasters, rampant gang violence, homicides, sexual assaults, and kidnappings, all contributing to a severe economic downturn. The Biden administration extended TPS for 300,000 Haitians last June, acknowledging that “ongoing humanitarian challenges have created pressing needs.”

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced that the termination of TPS will take effect on August 3, unless an extension is granted. TPS offers immigration protections and work authorization for individuals from countries facing war, natural disasters, or other extraordinary circumstances.

Last June, the Biden administration had extended protections for TPS beneficiaries until February 3, 2026.

New York City hosts the second-largest population of Haitian immigrants in the United States, only after Miami. As per a 2023 report from the Migration Policy Institute, around 163,000 Haitian immigrants reside in the New York City metropolitan area, accounting for nearly 25% of the total 731,000 Haitian immigrants nationwide.

Saint Louis reported that her organization has been inundated with requests for support. Haitian Americans United for Progress delivers a variety of social services, educational resources, and legal assistance to Haitian immigrants throughout New York City.

Brooklyn, particularly Flatbush, East Flatbush, and Prospect Lefferts Gardens, is home to the majority of Haitian New Yorkers, as detailed in a 2013 report by the Department of City Planning. The Little Haiti neighborhood spans Flatbush and East Flatbush.

A DHS spokesperson described the TPS program as having been “abused and exploited” over the years, arguing that ending these protections aligns with the broader immigration agenda of the Trump administration.

This announcement follows Trump’s repeated false statements during his 2024 campaign, including claims that Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio, were responsible for eating household pets.

Additionally, the administration’s recent decision to terminate TPS for over 300,000 Venezuelans has sparked outrage, leading immigrant advocacy groups like CASA and Make the Road New York to file a federal lawsuit on Thursday, demanding the reversal of this decision.

During his first term in 2017, Trump attempted to end TPS for Haitian immigrants, but a federal district judge blocked that action successfully.

This article has been updated to include further details.