Anxiety grips Haitian community in United States over termination of protected status

Anxiety reigns for many Haitians in the United States as uncertainty looms over their immigration status.

A federal judge in New York on Tuesday blocked the Trump administration from ending temporary protected status (TPS) for more than half a million Haitians who are already in the US.

This legal status was introduced after the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, and was renewed multiple times.

The Biden administration had extended Haiti’s TPS status through at least 3 February 2026, due to gang violence, political unrest, a major earthquake in 2021 and several other factors, according to court documents.

But the Department of Homeland Security announced last week it was terminating TPS for Haitians, a measure that should be effective on 2 September and would set Haitians up for potential deportation.

The announcement hit hard for Sun-G, a barber in Springfield, Ohio, who is on TPS.

“I was expecting that they might shorten the TPS validity period [...] or even raise the application fee, which would’ve made it harder for some people to afford. But at least we would’ve had the option to renew. I never expected them to terminate it completely", he said.

“I know I have a country. But do you think if my country were stable, I would have left it at my age to start over somewhere else?”

Sun-G said the uncertainty has already taken a toll on his business.

Many of his clients who were on temporary immigration status parole have already lost their jobs and can no longer afford haircuts regularly.

“You’ve built your own business, working hard to make it succeed", he said.

"Suddenly, it feels like all the effort you put in means nothing, like you’ve been standing still this whole time. Now, it’s as if you have to start all over again—from zero.”

Haiti remains gripped by brutality and political unrest.

Gang violence has displaced 1.3 million people across the country, according to the International Organization for Migration.