A husband and wife in the D.C. area both worked full-time as they raise their young children. Now the husband, originally from Haiti, is no longer eligible to work after the Trump administration ended temporary protected status (TPS) for Haitians.
“He could be deported next week,” his wife told News4, asking not to show her face. “We’re just trying to really take it one day at a time.”
TPS offered the family security. Now they fear what would happen if her husband has to go back to Haiti, where the U.S. State Department issued a “do not travel warning,” citing crime, violence and unrest.
“It’s beyond difficult,” the wife said. “[…] Your life can change within an instant. So now you have to figure out, OK, so if this were to happen, for him to go into a country that has zero security, zero protections – what’s going to happen?”
The end of TPS made it all the way to the Supreme Court and was a key part of President Donald Trump’s campaign for his second term. An administration official told NBC News that ICE plans to ramp up arrests and deportations.
Haitians in the U.S. became eligible for TPS after the devastating earthquake that rocked Haiti in 2010. TPS allowed migrants to work in the U.S., and an estimated 350,000 received the protection.
Montgomery County has a Haitian population of about 5,000 people, many of whom have TPS.
“It’s a period of panic, fear, shame. And the folks are just – they don’t know, pretty much, what to do at this point,” said Rodrigue Vital, Montgomery County’s Caribbean liaison.
He’s Haitian and said he’s concerned about the impact the latest ruling could have on his community. The county is directing residents to the Gilchrist Immigrant Resource Center for help in navigating the legal limbo TPS holders are facing.
“A little compassion for a great country like the United States would really – will do a lot. But that’s not what the Haitians are seeing. So it’s painful to deal with,” Vital said.
In a statement to News4, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said, “Haiti’s TPS was granted following an earthquake that took place over 15 years ago, it was never intended to be a de facto amnesty program, yet that’s how previous administrations have used it for decades…What we would say now is it’s closing time which means you don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here.”
Families are left wondering what the future holds for them.
“We just continue to pray that, you know, we can make it through the next day,” said the woman whose husband lost his TPS status.
TPS for immigrants from El Salvador is set to expire on Sept. 9, which also could have a big impact on the D.C. area. It’s an issue that is being challenged in the courts.
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