Trump’s plan to end TPS for Haitians is hateful. Why aren’t more objecting? | Opinion
Bea L. HinesUpdated July 4, 2025 3:34 PM
Haitians fleeing armed gang violence in the capital and other regions of the country have crowded the northern port city of Cap-Haïtien, Haiti. On Sunday, June 29, 2025, merchants could be seen along the waterway trying to eek out a living in the city where jobs and housing are in short supply. Jacqueline Charles
I, like many of you, try to look beyond the news headlines of horror and try to find the good in whatever the situation. These days, that’s kind of hard to do.
Take for instance, the news at the end of June that the Trump administration will try to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians, citing “sufficient improvement” in Haiti so that Haitians could allegedly return home safely.
What a blatant lie.
It is no secret that Haiti has been a hellhole for many years. So, how did it recover without our knowing anything about it?
Haiti has been roiled by natural disasters — the 2010 earthquake that killed more than 200,000, followed by devastating hurricanes.
And the country has fallen victim to armed gangs, who think nothing of torching homes, schools and hospitals, killing and kidnapping the missionaries who risk their lives to bring hope and comfort to a people in dire need.
Some were able to escape the turmoil and find solace, and a new life on these shores. But now, it seems, the solace many Haitians found here for many years is coming to an end. What will they go back to in Haiti? Where will they live? Or work? Or be educated? Or get medical attention?
When brutish and armed gangs took over a great portion of the country, the people who could leave were left with no other option but to flee. Over the years, Haiti, a land of majestic mountainsides and colorful creative people, gradually turned into a country in chaos.
In September, the State Department issued a “Haiti Travel Advisory” warning Americans not to travel to Haiti “due to kidnapping, crime, civil unrest, and limited health care.”
Even U.S. citizens still living in Haiti have been asked to leave the country as soon as possible or be prepared to shelter in place for an extended period.
Does this sound like a place you would like to return to after having lived and worked and contributed to the economy of this country for many years? The Haitian people have become a part of our American landscape.
More than 500,000 Haitian nationals are protected under TPS in the United States. If they were sent back to Haiti, we would be left with a great void, especially in South Florida, where their colorful culture has added flavor to the great Mixing Pot.
So, while Haitians have eked out a life for themselves in many other parts of the country, I can hardly imagine a Miami without the Haitian influence.
Let’s face it, folks — this isn’t about “restoring integrity” to the immigration system. Let’s call it what it really is: A blatant act of racism. It’s hating our sisters and brothers who happen to be from a Black nation.
Recently I heard an excerpt from a sermon by Pastor Loran Livingston, senior pastor at Central Church of God in Charlotte, N.C., who said:
“This is 2025… this is the worse generation, the most, evil generation since the flood of Noah, and it’s getting worse every day…” But, Livingston said, “It is not only society that is rotten, but the so-called church religious people are more like the world every day and are bringing the world into its so-called worship. There is no longer a fear of God in this world and in most churches… The Bible says, ‘… the fear of the Lord is the beginning is wisdom… but the fear of the God is gone. Many Christians no longer have a quaking, respectful fear of the God who saved them.”
I thought about Livingston’s sermon for a while, listening to his words over and over again. And I thought: “This is so true.” I grew up in church. I have always loved a good soul-searching sermon, one where I leave church wanting to be a better person, wanting to reach out to others with compassion.
This move to send Haitians, many of whom have become Americanized, back to a country that is foreign to them shows a dire lack of compassion on the part of the Trump administration. The move — along with the building of Alligator Alcatraz in the Everglades — makes this generation look very bad, indeed.
Where are the Evangelicals?
This is where I question the thousands of Evangelicals who support the president’s every move — even when it is the wrong move.
I believe that if the true Bible-believing Evangelicals would stand up and get in a little “good trouble” as the late Congressman John Lewis once said, we would see some good changes happen in our country. People who love the Lord should also love the Lord’s people, including Haitians.
While I challenge the Evangelicals to try to persuade President Trump to rethink his order to end TPS for Haitians, I am not “picking” on them. I challenge them because of their staunch support of President Trump. If he listened to anyone, I believe it would be the Evangelicals. After all, many of them carry and promote his “Trump Bible.”
However, the burden of compassion is not solely left on the lap of the Evangelicals. As a believer, I know that God is love. He loves the just and the unjust. So, the message to love back is to us all.
I don’t know what can be done to reverse President Trump’s decision to send a half-million people to what could mean their certain destruction. I just believe that none of us can afford to sit silently by and watch it happen.
After all — love is what love does.
Bea Hines Al Diaz
This story was originally published July 4, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
National Center of Haitian Apostolate
Happy 46th Anniversary of Priestly Life Monsignor Pierre André Pierre!
On June 30, 2025, Monsignor Pierre André Pierre, Executive Director of the National Center of the Haitian Apostolate, celebrated his 46th anniversary of priestly life. Like many young men of his generation, young Peter André Peter had heard God's call asking him to surrender himself completely to Him in the priestly life, and he answered yes, like his divine mother the Most Holy Virgin Mary. Monsignor Pierre is known for his humility and gift of great human relationships.
He is a son of Arcahaie, the city of the flag, and comes from a Catholic family for several generations. He is the eldest of a family of seven children. He received his primary education from the Brothers of Christian Instruction of Arcahaie and his secondary education at the Small Seminary College Saint Martial (Petit Seminaire Collège Saint Martial), directed by the Fathers of the Holy Spirit (the Spiritists) in Port-au-Prince. Through the Collège Saint Martial, the Spiritains, who were among the great enemies of the regime of President François Duvalier (Papa Doc), trained several generations of Haitian scholars, many of whom attended the Grand Seminary of Our Lady of Haiti, after high school, to study priesthood or their vocation. What Haitian student, at the Small Seminary College Saint Martial between 1949 and 1968 in secondary classes, can forget the eminent priest-teacher of History of Haiti, The late Antoine Adrien, Director of the establishment, who helped to be useful to the youth of Haiti country ? The large Haitian community of the Diocese of Brooklyn-Queens from 1972 to early 1986 continues to fondly remember Father Antoine Adrien, Father William Smarth and other Haitian priests of the Salt magazine for their great closeness to the refugees or the Boat People Haitians from New York State. Today the Haitian community does not always have a spiritual leader to count on at this difficult time in our history, as the first black nation that gained its independence at the price of blood, where the Haitian is everywhere humiliated, does not enjoy any respect, despite the significant contribution economic development of the countries in which he lives.
The seminarian André Pierre, after his studies at the Grand Seminary of Our Lady of Haiti, was ordained a priest on June 30, 1979 by His Excellency the late Archbishop Monsignor François Wolff Ligondé, the first Haitian Archbishop of Archidiocese of Port-au Prince. Subsequently, the young priest Pierre André Pierre attended the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem where he obtained a degree in biblical studies. Back in Haiti, Father Pierre André Pierre taught in several high schools and congregational colleges in the capital. He was successively Vice-Rector of the Grand Seminary Notre-Dame d'Haiti (Section of Philosophy in Cazeau) and Rector of the same institution (Section of Theology in Turgeau), affiliated to the Pontifical Urban University of Rome. While preparing a doctoral thesis in biblical studies at the Catholic University of America (CUA) in Washington, D.C., Father Pierre André Pierre was appointed director of the Haitian ministry in the Archdiocese of Washington and exercised this ministry in the Haitian community throughout the region of Washington, D.C., including parts of Northern Virginia and Maryland from 1997 to 2003. During this period in the US capital, he taught the New Testament at the Theological Union of Washington, until his return to Haiti in September 2003.
In addition, Father Pierre André Pierre was appointed by the then Pope John Paul II, chaplain of His Holiness, conferring on him the title of Monsignor. This polyglot and highly educated priest has therefore held several prestigious positions within the Catholic Church of Haiti, notably as secretary of the Episcopal Conference of Haiti and spokesman of the Catholic Church of Haiti from 2003 to 2009 and also as Rector of Haiti. the prestigious University of Our Lady of Haiti.
For nearly 4 years he has been the Executive Director of the National Center of the Haitian Apostolate Abroad. In this position, he continues to open his arms to work with anyone who believes that the Church is an organized body with Jesus Christ as its Center.
Monsignor Pierre André Pierre is a very moderate priest who believes in unity within the Church. He does his best to bring his collaboration as Executive Director of the National Center of the Haitian Apostolate to the work of evangelization and the advancement of our community. He is keenly aware of the challenges of the National Center in this highly polarized Haitian community where it is not always easy to work and sit together. He has always taken care to listen very carefully to his interlocutors before giving his opinion or making a decision. Like many of our brothers and sisters, he continues to observe with great sadness the deteriorating situation of Haiti and the Haitian diaspora community where it is still not easy for us to sit together to help Haiti rise.
The staff of the National Center of the Haitian Apostolate, in communion with Radio Télé Solidarité, wishes a Happy 46th anniversary of priestly life to Monsignor Pierre André Pierre. May God continue to bless his ministry!
Brother Tob
What is TPS and where it stands for Haitians today
Temporary Protected Status has shielded Haitians in the U.S. for over a decade—but its future remains uncertain
by The Haitian Times Jul. 03, 2025
Overview:
TPS has served as a legal lifeline for Haitians since 2010, allowing them to live and work in the U.S. amid crises back home. But a series of federal actions in 2025 have left the program—and its 500,000 beneficiaries—in flux.
Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, is a special immigration designation granted by the U.S. government to nationals of countries experiencing severe crises—such as war, natural disasters, or political unrest—that make it unsafe for their return. For Haitians, TPS has been both a legal lifeline and a source of constant uncertainty.
When and why did Haitians first receive TPS?
TPS was first granted to Haitians in January 2010, in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake that killed an estimated 300,000 people and displaced more than a million others. The designation allowed Haitian nationals already in the United States to live and work legally without fear of deportation.
Since then, the U.S. government has repeatedly extended Haiti’s TPS designation due to the country’s ongoing instability—triggered by political violence, natural disasters, economic collapse, and widespread gang control, particularly in Port-au-Prince.
As of 2025, more than 500,000 Haitian nationals are estimated to be TPS recipients, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
What does TPS provide?
TPS allows eligible Haitian nationals to:
- Legally live and work in the United States
- Apply for employment authorization documents (EAD)
- Be protected from deportation while the designation is active
TPS is not a pathway to permanent residency or citizenship, but it can provide temporary legal status and work rights during periods of crisis in one’s home country.
What’s changed in 2025?
In July 2024, President Joe Biden extended Haiti’s TPS designation for 18 months, pushing the expiration to Feb. 3, 2026. However, the Trump administration moved to reverse that in February 2025, with DHS Secretary Kristi Noem announcing a shortened expiration date of Aug. 3, 2025—cutting protections by six months.
Noem claimed the TPS system had been “exploited and abused for years,” and argued that Haiti’s conditions had improved enough for safe returns.
But advocates and lawmakers pushed back, calling the decision reckless. The House Haiti Caucus called the move “a shameful decision that could be a death sentence” for hundreds of thousands of Haitians facing deportation.
Has the shortened TPS deadline been overturned?
Yes—at least temporarily. On July 1, 2025, a federal judge blocked the Trump administration’s attempt to end Haitian TPS early. The court found that DHS had overstepped its legal authority by attempting to cut short the designation without following federal procedures.
U.S. District Judge Brian Cogan ruled that Haiti’s TPS must remain in place through Feb. 3, 2026, restoring the original expiration set under the Biden administration.
“This is a huge victory for 500,000 Haitians,” said Brian Concannon, director of the Institute for Justice & Democracy in Haiti, shortly after the decision.
What happens after Feb. 3, 2026?
That remains unclear. By law, DHS must conduct a review of country conditions and issue a decision—either to renew or terminate TPS—at least 60 days before the expiration. The next review deadline would likely be early December 2025.
If TPS is renewed, current holders must re-register and apply for new work permits. If not, the designation could expire, leaving thousands of Haitians vulnerable to deportation.
What risks do TPS holders face now?
Despite the court ruling, TPS holders face mounting challenges:
- Job loss: Employers like Walmart, Amazon, and Sam’s Club in Ohio have already started terminating Haitian workers whose employment authorization documents were set to expire, The Haitian Times reported on July 1, 2025.
- Deportation fears: ICE has been granted expanded fast-track deportation powers, even for those with expiring or recently invalidated TPS status.
- Legal limbo: With delays in asylum processing and few alternative immigration pathways, many Haitians fear they’ll fall through the cracks.
Where can TPS holders get help?
Several organizations offer legal assistance and support for low or no cost:
- Haitian Community Network (HaCoNet):
Cette adresse e-mail est protégée contre les robots spammeurs. Vous devez activer le JavaScript pour la visualiser. | 1-614-600-5530 - Legal Aid Society of New York: TK
- Ohio Immigrant Alliance: ohioimmigrant.org | 1-216-867-1800
- Immigration Advocates’ list of non-profit legal services: http://immigrationadvocates.org
TPS is a temporary shield, not a permanent fix. For Haitian nationals, it has provided crucial relief—but the policy remains subject to political winds. While the court ruling offers a reprieve until February 2026, the future of Haitian TPS—and the thousands who rely on it—remains uncertain.
UN: Haiti’s gangs now control nearly all of Port-au-Prince as violence spreads
UN officials say gangs dominate the capital and are expanding into new areas, while Haiti’s transitional government struggles to respond
by The Haitian Times Jul. 03, 2025
Overview:
United Nations officials told the Security Council that armed gangs now control about 90% of Haiti’s capital and are expanding across the country. They warned of near-total state collapse as violence intensifies, undermining public safety and humanitarian efforts.
By Edith M. Lederer | Associated Press
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Haiti’s gangs have gained “near-total control” of the capital and authorities are unable to stop escalating violence across the impoverished Caribbean nation, senior U.N. officials warned Wednesday.
An estimated 90% of the capital Port-au-Prince is now under control of criminal groups who are expanding attacks not only into surrounding areas but beyond into previously peaceful areas, Ghada Fathy Waly, executive director of the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime, told the U.N. Security Council.
“Southern Haiti, which until recently was insulated from the violence, has seen a sharp increase in gang-related incidents,” she said. “And in the east, criminal groups are exploiting land routes, including key crossings like Belladere and Malpasse, where attacks against police and customs officials have been reported.”
Waly said the state’s authority to govern is rapidly shrinking as gang control expands with cascading effects. Criminal groups are stepping into the vacuum left by the absence or limited delivery of public services and are establishing “parallel governance structures,” and gang control of major trade routes has paralyzed legal commerce, leading to soaring prices for cooking fuel and rice, Haiti’s staple food, she said.
U.N. Assistant Secretary-General Miroslav Jenca told the council “the ongoing gang encirclement of Port-au-Prince” and their strengthened foothold in the capital and beyond is “pushing the situation closer to the brink.”
“Without increased action by the international community, the total collapse of state presence in the capital could become a very real scenario,” he warned.
Gangs have grown in power since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïsein July 2021 and previously were estimated to control 85% of the capital. Haiti has not had a president since the assassination.
A U.N.-backed mission led by Kenyan police arrived in Haiti last year to help quell gang violence, but the mission remains understaffed and underfunded, with only about 40% of the 2,500 personnel originally envisioned.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ proposal in February to have the U.N. provide drones, fuel, ground and air transport and other non-lethal support to the Kenya-led mission has languished in the council.
In response to the gangs, the UNODC’s Waly said there has been a rapid growth in the number and activities of private security companies and vigilante self-defense groups, with some trying to protect their communities while others act illegally and collude with gangs.
“Over the last three months,” Jenca said, “these groups reportedly killed at least 100 men and one woman suspected of gang association or collaboration.”
He said the last three months have also seen an increase in sexual violence by gangs with the U.N. political mission in Haiti documenting 364 incidents of sexual violence involving 378 survivors just from March to April.
A new report by U.N. experts covering the period from last October through February said the gangs have exploited political turmoil and the disorganized response to Haiti’s security crisis, pointing to competing political ambitions and allegations of corruption within Haiti’s transitional governing bodies that have stymied action.
“While the expansion of territorial control brings gangs additional sources of revenue and bargaining power,” the experts said, “these attacks are also backed by individuals trying to destabilize the political transition for their own political goals.”
One major result is that very little progress has been made toward restoring public security or implementing the roadmap for organizing national elections by February 2026, the experts monitoring an arms embargo on Haiti and sanctions against key gang leaders said in the report to the Security Council.
With a weak national police force facing acute tensions in its leadership, an army that needs rebuilding, and the limited ability of the multinational force, the experts warned that the gangs will continue “to have the upper hand unless stronger international support is provided.”
As for vigilante groups, the experts said, they “often include local police officers, some of whom actively participate in human rights violations.”
The Haitian National Police have also carried out “a worrying number of extrajudicial killings … with suspected gang members often summarily executed,” the experts said, pointing to 281 summary executions by specialized police units in 2024 including 22 women and 8 children.
Despite the U.N. arms embargo on Haiti, gangs continue to obtain more powerful weapons not only from regional civilian markets but from police stockpiles in Haiti and the neighboring Dominican Republic, the experts said.