MIAMI (WSVN) - Hundreds of Haitian immigrants across South Florida are celebrating an 11th-hour decision from a federal judge barring the Trump administration from ending temporary protected status for Haitian nationals.
Monday evening’s decision keeps intact legal protections that allows those affected to continue living and working in the United States.
“Finally getting the judge’s decision is a relief,” said Tessa Petit, the Executive Director of the Florida Immigrant Coalition. “Relief, relief. As a Haitian myself, I’ve been very anxious, ’cause I know what the reality on the ground is in Haiti.”
The Trump administration was set to end those protections on Tuesday, placing more than 158,000 Haitians with TPS across Florida at risk of deportation.
The Florida Immigrant Coalition represents one of many legal and activist groups working on the case. Petit spoke to 7News Monday night.
“Me not being on TPS and knowing how anxious I’ve been all day, I can only imagine how Haitians were feeling,” she said. “We know that the battle is not over.”
Advocates like Petit and others were anxiously waiting for that decision to see whether their clients would lose their legal protections.
In a one-page-and-a-half ruling on Monday night, Judge Ana C. Reyes blocked the administration from ending the program, saying:
“During the stay, the Termination shall be null, void, and of no legal effect. The Termination therefore does not affect the protections and benefits previously conferred by the TPS designation, including work authorization and protection from detention and deportation, and the valid period of work authorization extends during the stay.”
A woman who did not want to be identified told 7News that while she usually shies away from emotional discussions, she believes the judge did the right thing.
“She’s 100% correct. I agree with that,” she said.
Earlier on Monday, immigration attorney Patricia Elizee told 7News the expiration of these legal protections could disrupt the lives of many in the community.
“Everyone who is currently on TPS and is a Haitian national will go back to either the status that they had before, or they will be here illegally,” she said. “They will not be able to work, they will not be able to get a driver’s license, they will not be able to function like they used to.”
Elizee is among many in the community who urged the administration to reconsider its decision. Last month, local leaders also gathered to speak in support of Haitian immigrants.
“We need to protect the human dignity of the Haitians,” said Miami Archbishop Thomas Wenski.
The group said the loss to the workforce in the community could be crippling, and that they do not want these people to return to their destabilized home country.
“This is not who we are,” said Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava.
“This is a humanitarian crisis,” said U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson, D-Fla.
TPS was first granted for Haitians in 2010 after a massive earthquake hit the country. The Trump administration, however, has tried to end it several times
Over the weekend, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem spoke about the expiration of the protections during a visit to Miami International Airport.
“It’s a program that has long existed in law. It was always meant to be temporary. As TPS for Haiti expires, those individuals can all work with us to see if it is following the law to stay here, and if not, they will return home,” she said.
Noem added that there are other programs Haitian nationals may be eligible for besides TPS.
“Any individual that is from a country where TPS is expiring can appeal that and see if there’s another program they qualify for, and they have a number of months to do that,” she said.
But Petit told 7News that the Trump administration has cut many of those programs, blocking these migrants from having access to them to adjust their status.
There could be hope, however, for many protected under TPS. U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., got some help from South Florida Congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar in signing a discharge petition on the floor to require Homeland Security to designate Haiti for TPS.
“This is one member of Congress, regardless of her political affiliations, who is willing to put a foot forward in being vocal and official about trying to protect the Haitian community,” said Petit.
The discharge petition needs 218 signatures to force the vote on the House floor. If it were to pass, it seeks to extend the legal protections until April 2029.
As TPS holders await the next steps, Elizee said Haitians need to have a plan.
“Right now is not the time to panic. Not only a plan for your immigration status and your immigration history, but also for your family. You want to make sure you sit down with the proper legal professional so that you know what your options are legally,” she said.
For those looking for help, Elizee suggests reaching out to the Haitian Lawyers Association. Click here for more information.
The Family Action Network Movement said they will host a news conference along with the city of North Miami, scheduled to start at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, to voice their support for Reyes’ ruling.
Florida Democrats were expected to hold a virtual press call to demand the extension of legal protections for Haitians.
Tuesday evening, the cities of Miami and North Miami will be holding a TPS prayer vigil in Little Haiti.
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