RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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0 Share Newsweek is a Trust Project member See more of our trusted coverage when you search. Prefer Newsweek on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search. As the Trump administration strips away Temporary Protected Status ( TPS ) from more than 300,000 Haitians, immigrants describe widespread concerns over potential deportations and deteriorating conditions in Haiti, while business groups say the loss of work-authorized employees could strain an already tight labor market.
The Trump administration moved to terminate TPS protections for Haitians last year, arguing that conditions in Haiti no longer justified the designation and that the program was never intended to provide permanent legal status. The decision prompted lawsuits from immigrant advocates and TPS recipients, who argued Haiti remains unsafe and challenged the administration's authority to end the protections.
In June, the Supreme Court granted the administration's request to proceed with ending TPS for Haitians and Syrians while the legal challenges continue in lower courts, clearing the way for the protections to expire. TPS protects migrants from deportation and provides temporary work authorization. Haitians who do not qualify for another immigration status could become subject to deportation proceedings. The policy change has fueled anxiety among many Haitians living in the United States.
James Fleurijean, an administrative assistant with the Haitian Support Center in Springfield, Ohio, said Haitian residents have expressed fear and uncertainty as TPS protections expired Monday.
"It's really sad and frustrating at the same time," Fleurijean told Newsweek . "People are traumatized."
Ohio is home to an estimated 14,000 Haitian TPS holders, according to immigrant advocacy group FWD. us.
"The unrest in Haiti has not changed for the better, but for the worse," Fleurijean said. "If they send all these people to Haiti, a lot of them are going to get killed."
He added the center has seen hundreds of people seeking assistance with immigration and social issues and described widespread concerns about detention and deportation.
"I have seen hundreds of people coming for help, and I can see how they are feeling the anxiety," Fleurijean said.
He added that stress related to immigration uncertainty has affected some residents' health and pointed to conditions in Haiti that remain dangerous.
The administration has argued that TPS was always intended to be temporary and that Haiti no longer meets the legal requirements for the designation. The U.S. State Department currently warns Americans not to travel to Haiti, maintaining a Level 4 advisory due to kidnapping, violent crime, civil unrest and limited access to health care.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said Haiti no longer meets the conditions for TPS designation and that ending the program restores its intended temporary nature.
The Trump administration's efforts to end TPS have coincided with reports from CBS News that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has prepared plans for increased enforcement operations involving Haitian migrants, although federal officials have not publicly detailed the scope of any such actions.
A spokesperson for DHS told Newsweek the agency "does not discuss ongoing or future operations."
"Temporary Protected Status is exactly that—temporary. For too long, TPS has been allowed to function as a de facto amnesty program despite Congress never intending it to be permanent," the agency spokesperson said.
The expiration of TPS could also have widespread economic consequences, according to business leaders.
Rebecca Shi, CEO of American Business Immigration Coalition Action (ABIC Action), said that the loss of TPS work authorization for Haitians could worsen labor shortages in industries already struggling to fill positions.
"This is one of the largest expirations of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) our country has ever faced," Shi told Newsweek. "Today, it is Haiti, where more than 330,000 vetted, legally authorized workers who have spent years paying taxes and filling critical jobs are being pushed into uncertainty at a time when businesses are already struggling with severe workforce shortages."
Shi said TPS holders work in sectors including construction, manufacturing, hospitality, transportation and home health care. Her organization estimates that TPS recipients from multiple countries contribute billions of dollars annually in wages to the U.S. economy.
Haitian TPS holders contribute an estimated $5.9 billion to the U.S. economy each year and pay roughly $805 million in federal and payroll taxes and $755 million in state and local taxes, according to data from immigrant advocacy group FWD.us.
Shi said that removing workers from the labor force could create challenges for businesses and communities that rely on them. Critics of that view, however, have said immigration enforcement and the termination of temporary protections are necessary to uphold immigration laws and ensure that humanitarian programs do not become permanent.
"Removing these workers doesn't just upend lives; it weakens industries that are already struggling to meet demand. This is a political choice that will leave hospitals short-staffed, make it harder for seniors to receive care, disrupt businesses, and weaken our economy at a time when American families are already feeling the strain of higher prices," Shi said.
Springfield became the focus of national attention during the 2024 presidential campaign after false claims that Haitian immigrants were stealing and eating residents' pets spread widely online. The allegations were amplified by Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance despite local officials saying they had found no evidence to support the claims.
Some residents outside Haitian communities also expressed concerns about enforcement actions.
Vince Casker, a retired Army Special Forces officer who lives in Ohio, said he...
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