Community leaders, elected officials, and activists across South Florida are speaking out against the Trump administration’s decision to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians, warning of the humanitarian and economic fallout as thousands of Haitian nationals face potential deportation.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officially announced Friday that TPS protections for Haiti will expire on August 3, 2025, with deportation orders taking effect on September 2. The move affects thousands of Haitians living and working legally in the U.S. under TPS, many of them in Miami-Dade and Broward counties.
Current and former South Florida elected leaders, faith leaders, lawyers, and members of the Haitian-American community gathered Monday to call for national solidarity and immediate action.
“My fellow Americans, we have lost our humanity,” said former Broward Mayor Dale Holness, a Jamaican-American.
“Ending TPS for Haitians is not policy, it’s punishment, it ignores the dangers, it disregards the facts, and it destabilizes thousands of families right here in our neighborhood,” said Florida State Senator Shevrin Jones, who is of Bahamian roots.
“Terminating TPS now is dangerous, reckless, and it is inhumane,” said Miami-Dade County Commissioner Marleine Bastien, a Haitian-American.
TPS was originally granted to Haitian nationals after a series of devastating events—including the 2010 earthquake and subsequent humanitarian crises—left the country unable to safely receive returning citizens. However, DHS now argues those conditions have sufficiently improved.
“The environmental situation in Haiti has improved enough that it is safe for Haitian citizens to return home,” a DHS spokesperson said Friday.
Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, who made the final decision, said the determination was based on consultations with federal agencies and a legal review of Haiti’s current conditions. Under federal law, TPS designations must be reassessed at least 60 days before they expire.
Still, the announcement came just days after the U.S. embassy in Haiti issued a security alert urging American citizens to leave the country immediately due to ongoing instability.
“It is time to put a stop to this because sending Haitians back to Haiti is going to be blood on your hands,” warned Tessa Petit, executive director of the Florida Immigrant Coalition.
The Haitian American Professionals Coalition (HAPC), representing nearly half a million Haitians across Florida, issued a joint statement calling on the Biden administration to reverse what it described as a “cruel, dangerous, and shortsighted decision that will tear families apart and disrupt the ecosystem of our communities.”
North Miami Vice Mayor Kassandra Timothe urged Haitian TPS holders to seek legal advice and start planning for what could come next. “Have a plan in place and speak to legal experts,” she said.
The decision is also expected to carry serious economic consequences in South Florida and beyond.
“The decision to end TPS for Haitians presents humanitarian challenges and will carry economic consequences,” said Candice Mondesir, Executive Director of the Haitian American Chamber of Commerce of Florida. “Thousands of Haitian entrepreneurs, workers, and caregivers play a vital role in supporting local economies while also providing for their families back home. Removing them from the workforce will negatively impact small businesses, disrupt economic stability and place additional strain on families.”
Healthcare advocates echoed those concerns.
“Our healthcare system depends on Haitian nurses, home health aides, and medical professionals who are also TPS holders. They live by the values of compassion and care every day, often working in underserved areas. Deporting them will put American lives and the nation’s healthcare system at risk,” said Myrnelle Fleur-Aime, President of the Haitian American Nurses Association.
Community groups and local leaders are urging South Floridians to contact their congressional representatives and demand action before the September 2 deadline.
