Trump administration again seeks to end Haitian protected status

By Ted Hesson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The Trump administration is again seeking to end humanitarian protection for Haitians in the U.S., saying their legal status will end on February 3, a government notice published on Wednesday said, a move that comes despite spiraling violence in Haiti that has displaced more than 1 million people.

The notice announcing the end of Temporary Protected Status for some 353,000 Haitians said Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem had determined there were "no extraordinary and temporary conditions" in the country that would prevent migrants from returning.

U.S. President Donald Trump's administration has moved to end most enrollment in the TPS program as part of a broader clampdown on legal and illegal immigration. As a presidential candidate in 2024, Trump took particular aim at Haitian migrants in the U.S., alleging without evidence that they were eating pets in Springfield, Ohio.

JUDGE BLOCKED EARLIER MOVE TO END PROTECTION

Former President Joe Biden's administration extended TPS for Haitians in 2024, citing "simultaneous economic, security, political, and health crises" in Haiti, fueled by gangs and a lack of a functioning government. The extension gave them protections through February 3, 2026.

Shortly after Trump took office, Noem moved to end Haiti TPS ahead of its scheduled expiration, but a federal judge blocked that in July, saying Haitians' interests in being able to live and work in the U.S. "far outweigh" potential harm to the U.S. government.

More than 1.4 million Haitians have been displaced by violence and instability, according to the International Organization for Migration.

UNICEF estimated in October that over 6 million people - more than half the population, including 3.3 million children - need humanitarian assistance.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security notice announcing the end of Haiti TPS states that "certain conditions in Haiti remain concerning," including large-scale displacement, but that "permitting Haitian nationals to remain temporarily in the United States is contrary to the U.S. national interest."

(Reporting by Ted Hesson; Additional reporting by Susan Heavey; Editing by Jasper Ward, Chizu Nomiyama, Rod Nickel)

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