The Trump administration will end Temporary Protected Status for approximately 500,000 Haitians living in the United States on Aug. 3.
TPS is granted to nationals from countries experiencing armed conflict, environmental disasters or other extraordinary conditions that make their return to their home countries unsafe. The Department of Homeland Security announced the move on Thursday.
Haitians who have TPS will lose their work permits and could face deportations, according to the BBC. DHS said TPS has been "exploited and abused" and allowed Haitians who entered the U.S illegally to qualify for federal protections.
Reuters reported that DHS believes the Biden administration's decision to extend the protections to 2026 was unjustified.
The publication reports that the withdrawal comes despite the United Nation's warning about the worsening conditions in the Caribbean country, including a surge in gang violence which claimed the lives of more than 5,600 people last year, and a surge in sexual violence against children by 1,000% during the same period.
During his presidential campaign in Springfield, Ohio last year, Trump said his administration would deport Haitians before falsely accusing them of "eating" domestic pets, according to The Guardian.
The move has drawn sharp criticism from several elected leaders. State Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn said deporting Haitians would expose them to danger gripping the Caribbean country.
“Haiti is in the grip of a severe humanitarian and human rights crisis. Atrocious massacres of hundreds of innocent civilians are now a regular, frequent occurrence, while food insecurity is rampant," she said. "There is blood on the streets in the hands of gangs that effectively control the county while increasingly exploiting more and more children."
Congresswomen Yvette D. Clarke, along with Haiti Caucus co-chairs Ayanna Pressley and Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, said the decision "could be a death sentence."
“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," the three Congress members said. "We should be doing everything possible to save lives and bring stability and safety to Haiti—not throwing vulnerable people in harm’s way. We urge the Trump Administration to immediately reverse this cruel and callous decision.”
