Thousands of other refugees living in the US are awaiting what will likely be a similar fate, or self-deporting over concerns of being sent to a third country.
Temporary Protected Status (TPS) reversals are in full force for Haitians and other vulnerable refugee communities across the US.
Hundreds of Haitians have left the US—some on chartered deportation planes—while Syrian TPS holders also lost their status in July.
Thousands of other refugees living in the US are awaiting what will likely be a similar fate, or self-deporting over concerns of being sent to a third country.
“The loss of TPS is devastating for communities. For many people, it has been their only form of protection,” Lupe Aguirre, deputy director of US litigation with the International Refugee Assistance Project, told The New Arab.
Shortly after taking office for a second term, US President Donald Trump announced he would be revoking TPS designations for most of the 17 nationalities holding the status.
This decision was backed by a 6-3 Supreme Court decision in June, in which the majority ruled that the Department of Homeland Security’s discretionary decisions could not be reviewed by federal courts.
This has affected 350,000 Haitians and around 5,000 Syrians, who until now have been able to legally work in the US under the TPS humanitarian programme.
There did not appear to be considerations taken into account for the refugees’ safety or for their ties to the US. Many arrived as children and have spent most of their lives in the US.
“The government has acknowledged that these countries are dangerous,” said Aguirre. “The fears of our plaintiffs are still there.”
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