MIAMI (WSVN) - Haitians living in South Florida are among the hundreds of thousands of people fighting to stay in the United States after a federal judge made it clear their temporary protected status is over.
Wednesday was a dark day for Haitian migrants, as the Caribbean country’s TPS designation officially came to an end for the first time in 16 years. Now, hundreds of thousands of TPS holders stand at risk of deportation.
The ripple effects of the ruling were especially felt in Miami’s Little Haiti neighborhood, where people like muralist Serge Toussaint lives and works.
“People with TPS, they’ve got jobs here, they work and they take care of the people in Haiti, they have to pay their own bills here,” he said
Toussaint is a staple in Little Haiti, and so is his art. However, he said the neighborhood he helped bring to life feels different.
“it’s hurting everything, because look around. There’s nobody in the street. It’s like a ghost town,” he told 7News.
More than 158,000 Haitian TPS holders call South Florida home. Now, local residents are worried about their longtime neighbors.
“They are very scared. They don’t even know how their kids are gonna go to school,” said Mageala Orelus.
Wednesday’s final ruling is the latest development in a months-long legal battle. U.S. District Judge Ana C. Reyes issued a briefing lifting the temporary pause after the Supreme Court ruled that protections could end.
Haitians were first granted TPS back in 2010 after a devastating earthquake. Their protection ends as Haiti remains under a Level 4 do not travel advisory.
“Some people have been here 20-plus years, and their whole life is here,” said Lorrie Kola.
TPS holders are being encouraged to consult with an immigration attorney to see whether or not they’re eligible for other pathways.
As for what enforcement will look like in South Florida, that’s still not entirely clear.
In Ohio, some Haitian TPS holders are already receiving letters from the Department of Homeland Security asking them to visit one of their offices.
One man who did so was seen reportedly leaving with an ankle monitor.
For TPS holders like Farah Larrieux, the uncertainty is personal after spending years trying to navigate the immigration system.
“So you play political game with my life. That’s cruel,” she said.
Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said Haitian TPS holders have contributed more than $2 billion to the state’s economy. She and other local officials continue to put pressure on lawmakers to pass legislation that would extend TPS.
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