Latest news with #Haitians'
Miami Herald
4 days ago
- Politics
- Miami Herald
U.S. restores Haitian TPS protections, work permits until early February after court ruling
Tens of thousands of Haitians living and working in the United States with temporary protections from deportation will now be allowed to remain until at least February 2026 with employment authorization, according to the Department of Homeland Security website. The restoration of Haiti's Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, designation comes after a New York federal judge earlier this month blocked the Trump administration's efforts to shave six months off of the protections, which are usually for 18 months. U.S. District Judge Brian Cogan, ruling in a suit against the Trump administration's decision to prematurely end Haitians' TPS status and their work permits, had found that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem exceeded her authority when she rolled back the timeline. The TPS designation— originally set by the Biden administration to end on Feb. 3, 2026 after being extended for Haiti — had allowed up to more than a half-million Haitian nationals to shield themselves from deportation and against losing their work permits. In his ruling, Cogan also partly denied the administration's motion to dismiss the lawsuit brought by Haitian immigrants with TPS, a labor union and a clergy group with TPS beneficiaries. 'It is a victory,' said Ira Kurzban, one of the lawyers in the lawsuit. 'We are pleased that the Court, as have many others, stopped the administration from engaging in unlawful and vicious actions against immigrants.' Administration 'vehemently disagrees' It's not immediately clear if the Trump administration would attempt to appeal the decision. In an alert posted Friday on its website, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services noted that Haiti's TPS designation and related benefits were slated to terminate on Sept. 2, 2025 but on July 15, 'a single judge in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York issued a final judgment' in a lawsuit. 'The Department of Homeland Security vehemently disagrees with this ruling and is working to determine next steps,' immigration services said in the alert. The restoration follows several efforts by the Trump administration to end legal protections for hundreds of thousands of immigrants, including more than 200,000 Haitians who entered the U.S. under a Biden-era humanitarian parole program. Last week during a visit to Washington by Haiti Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, the uncertain status of Haitians in the U.S. — and more support for a Kenya-led multinational security support force fighting armed gangs were among the concerns raised in meetings with the State Department and congressional lawmakers. In late June, Noem determined that Haiti no longer meets the conditions for its TPS designation and announced the end of the country's designation once the current status ends. The decision, USCIS said, was taken 'after reviewing country conditions and consulting with the appropriate U.S. government agencies.' TPS designations have historically been given to countries experiencing armed conflict, natural disasters or other extraordinary conditions. The United Nations is warning that hunger continues to deepen across Haiti. The food crisis is compounded by ongoing violence, which is disrupting local food production in areas such as the community of Kenscoff in the hills above Port-au-Prince and the Artibonite, Haiti's breadbasket. With more than 5.7 million Haitians experiencing hunger, including famine-like conditions, and Haitians increasingly being targeted by armed gangs, the county is a textbook case for TPS designation, immigration and Haitian advocates have argued. On Saturday, they welcomed the announcement but stressed that it was a court-imposed victory and they vowed to continue fight the effort by the Trump administration to end TPS for Haitians. 'This is not just a policy decision—it is a hard-fought legal victory for the Haitian community and all who have stood in defense of our immigrant families,' Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, D-FL, said in a Saturday statement following the administration's confirmation that it will comply with a federal court order halting deportations until at least February. 'The court's ruling makes clear what we have always known: TPS holders deserve stability, protection, and respect, not political games or legal uncertainty.' McCormick said Haitian TPS holders who were wrongfully fired due to confusion around work permits must be reinstated immediately. 'These individuals are essential workers, caregivers and taxpayers, and they deserve justice. 'Let's be clear: this is the enforcement of the law. Our communities should not have to rely on court orders to be treated with dignity. A stronger path forward begins at home, with permanent protections and immigration reform that centers humanity, not politics,' she said. Revoking TPS 'unconscionable' Her sentiments were echoes by the Family Action Network Movement, a Haitian rights groups in Miami. 'We are relieved that the Administration finally acknowledged the correct end-date of Haiti's current TPS designation,' said Paul Christian Namphy, political director of FANM. 'We are encouraged that the court recognized the dire conditions that Haitians threatened with deportation would face upon arrival in Haiti.' Sending back TPS holders 'to a country mired in gang violence, political instability and humanitarian crisis would be unconscionable,' the group added. With more than 4,000 Haitians already killed this year and armed gangs expanding to other regions of the country, Haitians face a dire situation marked by widespread violence, rape, kidnapping, armed robbery, lack of access to basic resources and governmental collapse. Just this week, scores of residents in Marchand Dessalines, a rural community in the Artibonite region, were forced out of their beds by armed gangs who invaded the community and set fire to the local police station before they were repelled by a self-defense group. On Friday, the United Nations said that as of last month, there were nearly 250 active displacement sites across Haiti, housing many of the more than 1.3 million now displaced because of gangs. 'The vast majority are informal sites— with just over a fifth managed by humanitarian organizations, in collaboration with local authorities. This means that many families are living in precarious conditions,' U.N. Deputy Spokesman Farhan Haq said. 'Since the beginning of the year, the U.N. and its partners have provided support to more than 113,000 displaced people, including essential services such as water, shelter, sanitation and healthcare. Nearly 1.3 million people are now internally displaced in Haiti— the highest number ever recorded in the country due to violence,' he added during a press briefing. Haq said that in June alone, more than 200 alerts were reported across displacement sites including reports about a lack of food, water, shelter or healthcare. FANM said that the court's decision provides a crucial, if temporary, reprieve for the more than 500,000 Haitians and their families who depend on TPS to remain safely in the United States and can legally work. The group called on the administration and the courts to respect immigrant protections from deportation, and said it remains committed to advocate with Congress for comprehensive immigration reform solutions which include a path to residency and citizenship for long-term TPS holders. 'Immigrants who have lived, worked, paid their taxes and taken care of their families and contributed in meaningful ways to their communities and to society for decades, deserve long-term protections and permanent status,' FANM said.
TimesLIVE
02-07-2025
- Politics
- TimesLIVE
US judge blocks Trump from ending temporary protected status for Haitians
A federal judge on Tuesday rejected the bid by US President Donald Trump's administration to end temporary deportation protections and work permits for about 521,000 Haitian immigrants before the programme's scheduled expiration date. In February the department of homeland security rescinded Democratic former president Joe Biden's extension of temporary protected status (TPS) for Haitians to February 3 2026. It called for the programme to end on August 3 and last week pushed back the date to September 2. US district judge Brian Cogan in Brooklyn, however, said homeland security secretary Kristi Noem did not follow instructions and a timeline mandated by Congress to reconsider the TPS designation for Haitians. "Secretary Noem does not have statutory or inherent authority to partially vacate a country's TPS designation", making her actions "unlawful", Cogan wrote. "Plaintiffs are likely to (and do) succeed on the merits." Cogan said Haitians' interests in being able to live and work in the US "far outweigh" potential harm to the government, which remains free to enforce immigration laws and terminate TPS status as prescribed by Congress. Trump has made a crackdown on legal and illegal immigration a central plank of his second White House term.
Axios
02-07-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Judge blocks Trump admin from ending Haitian immigrant protections early
A federal judge on Tuesday blocked the Trump administration's early rollback of protections for Haitian immigrants in the U.S. The big picture: The move, for now, preserves the Biden administration's extension of Temporary Protect Status (TPS) for an estimated 520,000 Haitians, who would have been eligible for deportations next month. Driving the news: U.S. District Judge Brian Cogan said in the ruling that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem didn't follow the mandated timeline to get rid of a TPS designation. "Secretary Noem does not have statutory or inherent authority to partially vacate a country's TPS designation," Cogan wrote, calling the action "unlawful." The interest of Haitians' living and working in the U.S. "far outweigh any harm to the Government from a postponement," the judge said. DHS did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment on Tuesday evening. Catch up quick: Former Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas had extended TPS for Haitians until February 2026 before Trump took office. Noem vacated that decision in February this year, saying TPS eligibility for Haitians would end Aug. 3, 2025. She announced last week that the TPS designation would expire effective Sept. 2. Zoom out: President Trump amplified baseless claims about Haitian Americans while vowing to crack down on illegal immigration during his 2024 election campaign.
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Haiti's capital is close to falling to armed gangs. Here's what you need to know
Haiti's capital is again in free fall. The attacks by armed gangs that in recent days have seized control of new neighborhoods is raising fears that metropolitan Port-au-Prince could fall at any moment. In the past month, a record 60,000-plus people have been forced to flee their homes — many finding refuge in soiled makeshift camps with no latrines or potable water, and where rapes are a frequent occurrence. The new displacements have added to the more than 1 million people who had already fled their homes, according to United Nations figures. Making matters worse, nine in 10 Haitians go all day without eating in what has been described as one of the world's worst humanitarian crisis. The gangs have resumed kidnappings, while burning hospitals and destroying schools. The violence also continues to force a ban on U.S. commercial flights at the main international airport. Now, the Trump administration is weighing a travel ban that would restrict Haitians' access to the United States even if they have a U.S. visa. On Tuesday, the Department of Homeland Security will publish a notice canceling the work permits and immigration protections for more than a half million people, including 211,040 Haitians, paroled into the United States under a Biden-era humanitarian parole program. Here are some key questions and answers about the unfolding crisis in Haiti. The cataclysmic situation in Haiti has been described as 'an open prison,' where desperate Haitians are cut off from the world by air, land and sea. Internal displacement, the U.N. says, has surged, rising from 330,000 a year ago to over 1 million at present, as Haitians continue to flee gang violence, which led to more than 5,600 deaths last year. Meanwhile, over 100 government offices and other structures have been forced to shut their doors, relocate or have been destroyed. Only 27% of hospitals nationwide are functioning, the U.N. has said. Cholera, tuberculosis and other diseases are also on the rise as individuals are forced to flee. Gangs control up to 90% of Port-au-Prince, including strategic neighborhoods and roads that make it difficult to get in and out of the capital. The last road out of the capital to access the country's four regions in the south is now in the hands of gangs, who recently set fire to a police armored vehicle in the area. Several other roads that Haitians were able to use to get to the airport before gangs opened fire on three U.S. jetliners in November are now in gang territory. The gangs do not control the Toussaint Louverture International Airport, even though it remains closed to commercial and domestic traffic. They do not control the seaport, although their presence on roads leading into and out of the facility creates a constant fear that they could cut off the access to fuel. They do not control the main police headquarters nor the National Palace, even though the structure was destroyed in the 2010 earthquake. Its grounds remain heavily guarded; gangs have launched attacks around the area. Gangs also do not control the official residence of the prime minister or the offices of the nine-member Transitional Presidential Council. Observers say a takeover of the government's headquarters would be a sure sign of the capital's fall. So too would a gang takeover of the airport. The airport grounds, however, also serve as the base of operations for the Kenya-led Multinational Security Support mission and any encroachment by gangs would surely be met by gunfire. The headquarters of the Haiti National Police are also nearby. With barely 1,000 personnel, the Kenyan-led forces are still not enough to help police fight gangs, and their future funding remains uncertain amid U.S. funding freezes and the lack of a clear Trump administration policy on Haiti. The administration earlier this year unfroze over $40 million in aid and has allowed the mission to Kenya-led continue to receive equipment that had been set aside by the Biden administration. The U.S. has refused to say what constitutes a red line in Haiti to close down the embassy. A U.S. ambassador who does not serve in the region said that gangs attacking an airport and making it impossible for U.S. citizens to depart would be a major turning point for the U.S. embassy. Since 2021, the U.S. has repeatedly ordered the evacuation of non-essential staff in Haiti, and its consular services have been closed to visa appointments for the last several years. In recent months, U.S. embassy vehicles have been fired upon by gangs. France has temporarily closed its embassy's doors due to its proximity to the violence and other embassies in Port-au-Prince are watching the situation to determine their next steps. The violence has forced humanitarian aid groups in recent days to cancel in-person meetings and shelter in place. Before the current violent surge, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres had already warned that the U.N. political office in Port-au-Prince was down to a skeleton team of 17 people. Most were working from home, he said in a reporter to the Security Council earlier this year. Everything. They control main roads in and out of the capital and frequently target strategic infrastructure such as electrical plants, fiber optic and fuel facilities. Last month, they even targeted the antenna controlling air traffic over Haiti's airspace. Orphanages and religious orders are among those forced to flee in recent days. The capital's only critical care hospital, Bernard Mevs, was set on fire, and the largest public hospital is also not operating after gangs also set it ablaze. Over 1,000 schools remain closed, including over 40 that were destroyed by gangs in January, depriving approximately 200,000 children of education, the U.N.'s leading child welfare agency has said. On Monday, gang members kidnapped a 12 year-old child in the community of Kenscoff and set fire to homes. In Delmas 19, they fired on a passenger van, instantly killing the driver, and injuring other passengers. Canapé-Vert, Pacot, Turgeau and Debussy are among the oldest and wealthier residential neighborhoods of Port-au-Prince, and also the main source of water for the capital. Their strategic location on the upper south-east end of the capital with easy and direct access to the main arteries in and out of the capital would give gangs full control of Port-au-Prince and the ability to block the Canapé-Vert leading to Pétion-Ville and use it to launch attacks on the economic center of the metropolitan area. This is unclear. The government has been using weaponized drones to strike at gangs strongholds. So far the controversial operation has yet to take out any key gang leaders, and has led to a regrouping by gangs, which have gone on the offensive. Guterres, the U.N. secretary-general, said the erosion of state authority in Haiti is evident in the destruction of police infrastructure. 'Many are in gang-controlled areas or have been damaged by fire or demolished,' he said. Meanwhile, of Haiti's 21 prisons, 7 are non-functional, including the three largest, all located in the west department, due to extensive damage caused by gangs. The Port-au-Prince and Croix-des-Bouquets Courts of First Instance have also been rendered inoperable by gang attacks.
Miami Herald
25-03-2025
- Health
- Miami Herald
Haiti's capital is close to falling to armed gangs. Here's what you need to know
Haiti's capital is again in free fall. The attacks by armed gangs that in recent days have seized control of new neighborhoods is raising fears that metropolitan Port-au-Prince could fall at any moment. In the past month, a record 60,000-plus people have been forced to flee their homes — many finding refuge in soiled makeshift camps with no latrines or potable water, and where rapes are a frequent occurrence. The new displacements have added to the more than 1 million people who had already fled their homes, according to United Nations figures. Making matters worse, nine in 10 Haitians go all day without eating in what has been described as one of the world's worst humanitarian crisis. The gangs have burned hospitals and destroyed schools, and the violence continues to force a ban on U.S. commercial flights at the main international airport. Now, the Trump administration is weighing a travel ban that would restrict Haitians' access to the United States even if they have a U.S. visa. On Tuesday, the Department of Homeland Security will publish a notice canceling the work permits and immigration protections for more than a half million people, including 211,040 Haitians, paroled into the United States under a Biden-era humanitarian parole program. Here are some key questions and answers about the unfolding crisis in Haiti. How bad is the situation? The cataclysmic situation in Haiti has been described as 'an open prison,' where desperate Haitians are cut off from the world by air, land and sea. Internal displacement, the U.N. says, has surged, rising from 330,000 a year ago to over 1 million at present, as Haitians continue to flee gang violence. Meanwhile, over 100 government offices and other structures have been forced to shut their doors, relocate or have been destroyed. Only 27% of hospitals nationwide are functioning, the U.N. has said. Cholera, tuberculosis and other diseases are also on the rise as individuals are forced to flee. How much of Haiti's capital do gangs control? Gangs control up to 90% of Port-au-Prince, including strategic neighborhoods and roads that make it difficult to get in and out of the capital. The last road out of the capital to access the country's four regions in the south is now in the hands of gangs, who recently set fire to a police armored vehicle in the area. Several other roads that Haitians were able to use to get to the airport before gangs opened fire on three U.S. jetliners in November are now in gang territory. As Haiti's capital comes under intense gang attacks, angry Haitians in Canape Vert armed themselves with machetes and took to the streets on Wednesday, March 19, 2025 to protest the assaults and lack of response from the country's authorities. Johnny Fils-Aimé For the Miami Herald What is not under gang control? The gangs do not control the Toussaint Louverture International Airport, even though it remains closed to commercial and domestic traffic. They do not control the seaport, although their presence on roads leading into and out of the facility creates a constant fear that they could cut off the access to fuel. They do not control the main police headquarters nor the National Palace, even though the structure was destroyed in the 2010 earthquake. Its grounds remain heavily guarded; gangs have launched attacks around the area. Gangs also do not control the official residence of the prime minister or the offices of the nine-member Transitional Presidential Council. What happens if gangs take control of key goverment offices? Observers say a takeover of the government's headquarters would be a sure sign of the capital's fall. So too would a gang takeover of the airport. The airport grounds, however, also serve as the base of operations for the Kenya-led Multinational Security Support mission and any encroachment by gangs would surely be met by gunfire. The headquarters of the Haiti National Police are also nearby. What about the international forces in Haiti? With barely 1,000 personnel, the Kenyan-led forces are still not enough to help police fight gangs, and their future funding remains uncertain amid U.S. funding freezes and the lack of a clear Trump administration policy on Haiti. The administration earlier this year unfroze over $40 million in aid and has allowed the mission to Kenya-led continue to receive equipment that had been set aside by the Biden administration. What are foreign embassies doing? The U.S. has refused to say what constitutes a red line in Haiti to close down the embassy. A U.S. ambassador who does not serve in the region said that gangs attacking an airport and making it impossible for U.S. citizens to depart would be a major turning point for the U.S. embassy. Since 2021, the U.S. has repeatedly ordered the evacuation of non-essential staff in Haiti, and its consular services have been closed to visa appointments for the last several years. In recent months, U.S. embassy vehicles have been fired upon by gangs. Other countries' embassies in Port-au-Prince are watching the situation to determine their next steps. Are aid agencies able to work? The violence has forced humanitarian aid groups in recent days to cancel in-person meetings and shelter in place. Before the current violent surge, U.N. Secretary General António Guterres had already warned that the U.N. political office in Port-au-Prince was down to a skeleton team of 17 people. Most were working from home, he said in a reporter to the Security Council earlier this year. What have the gangs targeted? Everything. They control main roads in and out of the capital and frequently target strategic infrastructure such as electrical plants, fiber optic and fuel facilities. Last month, they even targeted the antenna controlling air traffic over Haiti's airspace. Orphanages and religious orders are among those forced to flee in recent days. The capital's only critical care hospital, Bernard Mevs, was set on fire, and the largest public hospital is also not operating after gangs also set it ablaze. Over 1,000 schools remain closed, including over 40 that were destroyed by gangs in January, depriving approximately 200,000 children of education, the U.N.'s leading child welfare agency has said Why do gangs want control of certain neighborhoods? Canapé-Vert, Pacot, Turgeau and Debussy are among the oldest and wealthier residential neighborhoods of Port-au-Prince, and also the main source of water for the capital. Their strategic location on the upper south-east end of the capital with easy and direct access to the main arteries in and out of the capital would give gangs full control of Port-au-Prince and the ability to block the Canapé-Vert leading to Pétion-Ville and use it to launch attacks on the economic center of the metropolitan area. How long can the Haitian government hold out? This is unclear. The government has been using weaponized drones to strike at gangs strongholds. So far the controversial operation has yet to take out any key gang leaders, and has led to a regrouping by gangs, which have gone on the offensive. Guterresm, the U.N. secretary general, said the erosion of state authority in Haiti is evident in the destruction of police infrastructure. 'Many are in gang-controlled areas or have been damaged by fire or demolished,' he said. Meanwhile, of Haiti's 21 prisons, 7 are non-functional, including the three largest, all located in the west department, due to extensive damage caused by gangs. The Port-au-Prince and Croix-des-Bouquets Courts of First Instance have also been rendered inoperable by gang attacks.
