Homeland Security offers deportation relief and work permits to more than 300,000 Haitians

The Department of Homeland Security said Friday that it will be providing more deportation relief and work permits to over 300,000 Haitians already in the United States, because of the turmoil happening in the Caribbean nation.

Violent gangs have taken over the Haitian government and the island's streets recently, after the gangs stormed two major prisons and released thousands of inmates. The war has displaced half a million Haitians, and nearly five million are facing a food shortage. 

The department said it would expand access to the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program to Haitians through February of 2026, because the gangs have blocked access to food, water, and healthcare, per Reuters.

“We are providing this humanitarian relief to Haitians already present in the United States given the conditions that existed in their home country as of June 3, 2024,” Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said in a statement. “In doing so, we are realizing the core objective of the TPS law and our obligation to fulfill it.”

The new order is an extension of the TPS designation, which normally lasts six to 18 months. But the designation is often extended for longer periods because of ongoing conflicts in the individual's country. 

The program's extension will encompass approximately 309,000 migrants, who were in the United States prior to June 3. Haitians who arrived later are not eligible for the program and will be deported, unless they find a legal way to remain.

The United States' State Department ordered all non-essential U.S. workers out of Haiti earlier this year, after the violence erupted. But some Americans have opted to remain for humanitarian reasons.

Misty Severi is an evening news reporter for Just the News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.