Roughly 350,000 Haitians living in the United States received some temporary relief after a federal appeals court blocked the Trump administration from ending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) until the weekend.
TPS was set to expire on Friday.
This means Haitian TPS holders will be able to keep their work permits and will be protected from deportation – for now.
That’s because the court’s decision only delays the TPS extension until Monday, July 27th.
Joe Radle/Getty Images
TPS for Haitians was first provided in 2010 after a catastrophic earthquake rocked the country.
TPS has been extended over the years as political violence has increased in the country.
Today, the country remains at Travel Advisory 4, with the US State Department warning of crime, kidnappings and unrest.
About 63,000 Haitians who stand to lose TPS own their homes here in South Florida.
Officials highlight potential consequences of TPS expiration
Miami-Dade County officials, health care advocates and business leaders gathered Wednesday to highlight the potential consequences expiration of the TPS that follows previous two-week extension.
“This week is a critical week for our future,” Miami-Dade Mayor Danielle Levine Cava said.
Community leaders warned that ending the program could have widespread impacts on South Florida’s workforce and economy.
“This decision will destroy entire ecosystems,” said Candace Mondesir of the Haitian American Chamber of Commerce of Florida.
The decision is still being worked out in court, but between now and Monday, hundreds of thousands of Haitians in the United States, including an estimated 158,000 in Florida, can continue to work without fear of deportation.