February 11, 2026
The termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) granted to Haitians, initially scheduled for February 3, 2026, has been suspended by a federal court decision, halting the prospect of large-scale deportations. This order currently prevents the implementation of removals envisioned by U.S. immigration authorities.
Before the court, Liana J. Castano, Deputy Field Operations Director at ICE, acknowledged that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) would have begun deporting Haitian nationals absent the judicial suspension. She clarified, however, that no massive operations specifically targeting high Haitian-concentration areas, such as South Florida or Springfield, Ohio, had been formally planned.
Currently, more than 300,000 Haitians benefit from TPS, a program in place since 2010 following the devastating earthquake that struck Haiti. The status allows them to reside and work legally in the United States due to exceptional conditions in their country of origin.
Attorneys and human rights organizations denounce the administrative decision as tainted by “racial prejudice” and disconnected from Haitian reality, marked by a persistent humanitarian crisis. Federal Judge Ana Reyes ruled that lifting the suspension would expose many families to abrupt separations and deprive thousands of their work authorization.
