WASHINGTON, Feb 20 (Reuters) - U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has announced a reduction in deportation protections and work permits for 521,000 Haitians covered by a temporary program. According to a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson, the revised policy will result in these protections expiring in August.
This decision overturns a previous action by the Biden administration to extend the protections until February 2026, with the spokesperson deeming the extension as unwarranted. Former President Donald Trump attempted to curtail enrollment in the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program between 2017 and 2021 but was thwarted by federal courts.
Noem has also rescinded a TPS extension granted to approximately 600,000 Venezuelans under the Biden administration, with nearly half facing expiration of their protections and work permits in April.
During a September 2024 debate with Democrat Kamala Harris, Trump alleged that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, were consuming pets, an assertion that led to outrage among Haitians in the city. Subsequently, Trump stated that if elected, he would eliminate TPS for Haitians and initiate deportations.
Noem now faces the decision of potentially terminating the status for Haitians, stating, "President Trump and I are returning TPS to its original status: temporary," in an official statement.
TPS is designated for individuals from countries experiencing natural disasters, armed conflicts, or other extraordinary events. Notably, over a million people, half of whom are children, remain in Haiti, where ongoing gang violence persists despite a United Nations-backed security initiative launched last year, as per U.N. data from January.
Haiti has not conducted elections since 2016, even though representatives have been elected since 2023. The capital city is largely under the control of armed gangs, with leaders emphasizing the need to establish security before holding legitimate elections.
Recent legal challenges have been filed against the Trump administration's efforts to terminate TPS for Venezuelans.