It was the same day President Donald Trump announced plans to shorten the program after learning that he was given a temporary shelter position to stay in the United States.
“The end of TPS gives me a headache,” Luma said.
For over 15 years, TPS has allowed thousands of Haitians to work legally in the United States and avoid deportation, but their homeland tackles political instability, gang violence and economic hardships.
Since the assassination of President Jobel Moise in 2021, armed gangs have controlled much of Port-au-Prince, governing the challenges, creating a vacuum of forces that have promoted further violence, homelessness, and hunger. According to the United Nations, more than 5,600 people were killed and 1,400 were lured during the gang conflict last year. The violence has made 1 million people homeless in Haiti, pushing many into makeshift shelters, exacerbating the country’s economic challenges.
However, the Trump administration’s decision to end TPS by August 2025 forced an estimated 500,000 Haitian immigrants living in the United States to decide whether to stay and fight for legal status or prepare to return to a country that is at stake.
Neither the White House nor the Department of Homeland Security responded to requests for comment.
In and around New York City, home to at least 160,000 Haitians, Brooklyn’s Haitian community forms deep roots while sharing the fear of deportation. The Evangelical Crusades Church in the Flatbush area has served as a sanctuary for Haitian immigrants for at least 50 years, offering a variety of services, including food pantry, wellness events and legal support.
“The community is worried,” said the Rev. Samuel Nicholas, a senior pastor at the church. “For over 15 years, these individuals have built their lives here and believe that TPS will ultimately lead to permanent residency. Now they are watching that hope escape.”
After a devastating earthquake struck Haiti in 2010, many people fled the country, killing more than 200,000 people, leaving an estimated 1.3 million homeless people. In the aftermath, people were able to arrive in the United States, gain TPS protection and rebuild their lives in search of stability. However, this program was never intended to be a permanent solution.
Abigail Deslavin, a 35-year-old Haitian immigrant, came to the United States after the earthquake.
“The conditions were getting worse and worse,” recalls Deslavin. The US family said, “We were calling and asking what we were trying to do. We told them we wanted to come here for school because we couldn’t stay in Haiti because of school. We lost our classmates. We had a lot of losses.”
Desravines said TPS allowed her and her sister to build a life in the US and ultimately won a green card. Despite the protections it provided, Desravines said life under the TPS still has hurdles and instability.
“People think TPS is a free pass, but that’s not,” Deslavin said. “We have to live with the fear of continuing to update, paying fees and being able to finish anytime. It’s not an easy path.”
In addition to paying fees, some universities require TPS holders to pay tuition fees “from a pocket like an international student,” she said. “Even though we lived in the United States for years, some universities didn’t allow in-state tuition fees.”
Deslavin’s parents remained in Haiti, and she and her sister lived with a large family and continued their education. While acclimating to life in the United States, the sisters quietly carried the burden of work, research and immigration uncertainty without adding any additional stress to their parents in dealing with the aftermath of the earthquake.
“My parents had their own struggles,” she said. “We had the opportunity to come to the US and we didn’t want to worry about our parents. But it had an emotional impact on us and impacted our grades.”
The end of the program creates confusion as many TPS holders have jobs, attend school and are part of the community.
For those currently facing the threat of deportation, the prospect of returning to Haiti is difficult. The country is suffering from instability, and Nicholas said he believes it is inhumane to send people back under these conditions.
“Haiti is not in the place where people who are under the TPS or humanitarian programmes return,” he said. “Haiti is overrun by armed groups and the infrastructure is barely functional.”
Luma, a recipient of the new TPS, said he applied for asylum and holds a valid work permit until 2029. However, his legal status is not guaranteed – in 2027 a judge decides his asylum claim.
“When they showed up before the judge, we don’t know what decision they’ll make, so TPS would have been an additional layer of security in difficult situations,” he said. Luma said she is worried about her friends and relatives who rely solely on TPS.
“Those who only work with TPS, buy cars, buy houses, and now all their documents are expired,” he said. “There’s no way to live without legal documents, so they have no choice but to self-denial.”
Many immigrants send money to Haitian families for food, education and health care, Nicholas said. “If they are deported, their financial support will disappear and exacerbate Haiti’s humanitarian crisis.”
Nicholas said deportation also has social and economic impacts on the state.
“The Haitians are part of New York’s fabric,” he said. “They fill our churches, work in jobs that others don’t take, and contribute to our economy. If TPS is finished, it’s not just a Haiti problem, it’s a New York problem, and a national problem.”
Immigration advocacy groups are calling for legislative measures to protect TPS holders, and are pushing the path to residence for people who have lived in the United States for many years. The organization’s group filed a lawsuit Monday seeking to block the Trump administration’s attempt to end TPS for Haitians early. Nicholas said he hopes Congress will step in to provide relief, or that Trump will have a change of heart.
“My hope is for the president to have a caring heart and realize that Haiti is not the place these people can return,” he said. “Where do they go? What infrastructure do they have in place? If we call ourselves a country built on Christian values, we must act with compassion.”
