Haitian immigrants residing in Houston express a profound sense of “ominous uncertainty” even after a federal judge intervened to block an attempt by President Donald Trump’s administration to abruptly end their Temporary Protected Status (TPS).
This week, Judge Brian M. Cogan of the Eastern District of New York ruled against the Trump administration’s plan to terminate TPS for Haitian immigrants five months earlier than the Biden administration’s previously set date of February 3, 2026.
The Biden administration extended TPS for Haitians, citing ongoing gang violence and political unrest in Haiti as reasons for the extension.
However, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced last week that it intended to end TPS for Haitians on September 2, earlier than initially expected.
Judge Cogan’s ruling allows beneficiaries to maintain their protected status through February 3, 2026, though many in the Haitian community remain skeptical about the future.
“Though grateful for this temporary reprieve, it is evident that the Haitian community does not expect better news come February,” said Dorothy Dupuy, a community affairs advisor for Houston Haitians United.
Dupuy highlighted the pervasive sense of uncertainty regarding the fate of TPS holders beyond the current ruling.
There are hundreds of thousands of Haitian immigrants in the United States, and the implications of this ruling are significant for their lives.
The court emphasized that the early termination would cause “irreparable injury” to Haitian immigrants, affirming that beneficiaries have a reasonable expectation to maintain their protected status until the end of the defined period.
Judge Cogan stated, “When the Government confers a benefit over a fixed period of time, a beneficiary can reasonably expect to receive that benefit at least until the end of that fixed period.”
In contrast, Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin from DHS argued that TPS was never meant to serve as a de facto asylum program.
She expressed the anticipation that a higher court would ultimately support the administration’s position regarding the termination of TPS.
Initially granted TPS in 2010 following a devastating earthquake in Haiti, Haitian immigrants have relied on this status due to persistent violence and political instability in their home country.
Notably, the U.S. Department of State issued a “do not travel” advisory for Haiti, citing significant risks such as kidnapping, crime, and civil unrest.
James Pierre, a co-founder of Houston Haitian United, criticized the Trump administration’s justification for ending TPS on the grounds that the situation in Haiti is improving.
He stated, “For the Trump administration to say the reason behind the TPS being lifted is because the situation in Haiti is getting better, is being dishonest to the American people.”
The current state of affairs in Haiti continues to deteriorate, according to a United Nations report from June, indicating that the human rights crisis has reached a new low, with a record 1.3 million people displaced by ongoing violence.
Moreover, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has suspended commercial flights from the United States to Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital, until September 8 due to security concerns.
The U.S. Embassy in Haiti recently urged American citizens to leave the country as soon as possible, highlighting the escalating risks.
Haitian immigrants in the U.S. have voiced their fears about being forced to return to Haiti, a country facing severe challenges and instability.
Pierre remarked, “Haitians who are here trying to make a living, and kind of help the U.S. economy, being sent back to Haiti, you’re sending them back to their probable death.”
The anxiety among immigrants is palpable, with many unsure of their next steps.
“They’re nervous. They don’t know what to do,” Pierre added. “Some of them have nowhere to go; they don’t have a home to go back to.”
image source from：houstonpublicmedia
