MIAMI (WSVN) - Florida state and local leaders weighed in one day after a federal judge blocked the Trump administration from stripping Haitians of their temporary protected status.
Judge Ana C. Reyes’ eleventh-hour ruling on Monday brings brief relief to the tens of thousands Haitians in South Florida who faced deportation.
Haitians living in neighborhoods like Little Haiti in Miami have felt that relief, but Reyes’ decision yielded mixed reactions, as some feel that TPS should remain just that: temporary.
However, others feel strongly that it’s too dangerous to return to Haiti.
“Ending TPS for our Haitian neighbors is not just cruel, it’s inhumane,” said Nikki Fried, chair of the Florida Democratic Party.
“Finally getting the judge’s decision is a relief,” said Tessa Petit, Executive Director of the Florida Immigrant Coalition.
Now is the time to focus on long-term solutions, Fried stated.
“We know that this is not permanent, that this is just one step along a very long journey for so many of these Haitian families, and we have to make sure that we continue to speak up, to speak out, to be unified in our community relations and to make sure that we are putting the people of our communities first,” she said.
Officials across South Florida echoed the need for a long-term solution, warning that it’s still not safe for Haitian residents to return to the country.
“This is a step forward. This is breathing room but breathing room is not stability,” said Miami-Dade Commissioner Marleine Bastien.
“We will continue to stand, we will continue to fight until the path forward is clear,” said Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava
Reyes’ ruling came as 158,000 Haitians living in Florida were at risk of losing their ability to live and work in the U.S.
The judge published a ruling that said the following:
“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.”
Among those impacted by the decision is TPS recipient Farah Lariux, who shared her relief alongside South Florida officials.
“[I] woke up with a sense of revival after suffering extreme anxiety, fear and uncertainty for many weeks,” said Lariux.
Lariux has been in the US since 2010 and put the blame on the Trump administration for singling out Haitians’ TPS status.
“The court ruling is a confirmation of the injustice that Haitians have been victims from the Trump administration,” said Lariux.
TPS was initially granted for Haitians in 2010 after a massive earthquake hit the country, but the Trump administration has tried to end it several times, saying the program was never meant to be permanent and has been abused.
Over the weekend, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem visited Miami International Airport, where she said that there are other programs besides TPS.
“It has always been meant to be temporary, although under the Biden administration, we saw it abused and not utilized correctly according to how law dictates,” said Noem. “Any individual who is from a country where TPS is expiring has an opportunity to appeal that and to look if there’s another program they may qualify for.”
Advocates, on the other hand, said many of those programs have been cut.
“As a Haitian myself, I’ve been very anxious, because I know what the reality is on the ground in Haiti,” said Petit.
The government is now expected to appeal the decision, and has asked judges to lift lower-court orders for similar cases so that deportations may continue as the case plays out.
The cities of Miami and North Miami will hold a prayer vigil in Little Haiti to further voice support for keeping the program in place. It has been scheduled for Tuesday evening.
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