The California-based Haitian Bridge Alliance (HBA) has ‘strongly condemned’ the Donald Trump administration’s decision to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians.
The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Wednesday posted a notice on the Federal Register terminating TPS for Haiti, effective February 3, 2026.
‘This decision is deeply troubling because, despite the termination, numerous credible assessments continue to confirm that Haiti remains dangerously unstable,’ HBA Executive Director Guerline Jozef told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC).
‘For instance, ongoing reports from human rights organizations and US-based observers highlight pervasive gang violence, widespread displacement, political turmoil, and the collapse of essential state institutions.
‘Additionally, Haiti’s longstanding vulnerabilities, exacerbated by the 2010 earthquake, which killed more than two thousand people and subsequent crises, continue to threaten the lives and safety of ordinary Haitians,’ Jozef added.
She said more than 90 per cent of Port-au-Prince, the Haitian capital, is controlled by gangs ‘and to tackle the severe insecurity crisis, the United States, through the United Nations, has funded that Multinational Security Support (MSS), led by Kenya, and most recently transformed it to the Gang Suppression Force (GSF)’.
Jozef said that the United Nations Office of Migration announced more than 1.4 million people in Haiti have been displaced due to insecurity and gang violence.
She said terminating TPS now places more than 500,000 Haitian nationals, many of whom have lived in the United States for over a decade, in immediate jeopardy of losing lawful status, ‘despite their critical contributions to local economies across healthcare, construction, caregiving, and service industries.
‘Let us be clear: ending TPS for Haiti is not a policy decision, it is an act of violence against immigrant families and their children who have called the US home for over a decade,’ Jozef said.
‘When the US government knowingly chooses to send people back to a nation that they themselves have put on a category 4 do not travel due to the continued political crisis, that is state-sponsored cruelty on the eve of Thanksgiving,’ she added.
Jozef said the Trump administration’s decision will also impact millions of Haitians back in Haiti who depend on remittances sent by relatives.
‘We reject the idea that our communities must constantly justify their right to live, to work, to be safe. TPS is the bare minimum of protection, and even that is being stripped away. This is why we organize, resist, and demand a world where migration is not weaponized against the most vulnerable.’
Jozef is urging President Trump to reverse the decision to terminate TPS for Haiti, calling also on the United States Congress to create a ‘permanent, humane pathway for Haitian TPS holders.
‘We further urge federal officials to ensure that all assessments of country conditions remain transparent, accurate, and grounded in human rights principles rather than political expedience.
‘Ultimately, Haitian TPS holders are essential members of our communities-workers, parents, caregivers, and neighbors-and deporting them would destabilize families, disrupt local economies, and betray America’s longstanding commitments to protecting those fleeing harm,’ Jozef added.
She said that the Haitian Bridge Alliance stands firm in demanding ‘compassion, justice, and dignity for all Haitian immigrants during this critical moment’.
The DHS said that, after consulting with interagency partners, its Secretary Kristi Noem ‘concluded that Haiti no longer meets the statutory requirements for TPS.
‘This decision was based on a review conducted by US Citizenship and Immigration Services, input from relevant US government agencies, and an analysis indicating that allowing Haitian nationals to remain temporarily in the United States is inconsistent with US national interests,’ said DHS in a statement.
‘If you are an alien who is currently a beneficiary of TPS for Haiti, you should prepare to depart if you have no other lawful basis for remaining in the United States,’ it added.