Haitian immigrants in NJ experience 'fear, panic' following end of TPS protections
Last year, the Department of Homeland Security announced that Haitian nationals would no longer qualify for TPS, a program that allows people from designated countries experiencing unsafe conditions to live and work legally in the United States.
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Hundreds of thousands of Haitian immigrants across the United States are now at risk of deportation after Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti was officially terminated Wednesday following a legal battle that reached the U.S. Supreme Court.
Last year, the Department of Homeland Security announced that Haitian nationals would no longer qualify for TPS, a program that allows people from designated countries experiencing unsafe conditions to live and work legally in the United States. The latest court action clears the way for the federal government to end those protections, affecting hundreds of thousands of Haitians.
Local leaders in New Jersey said the decision is creating uncertainty amongst Haitian communities.
"Many of our Haitian brothers and sisters have expressed anger, resentment because they did come here through a very legal process. Overnight, that was stripped away from them," said East Orange Councilman Bergson Leneus, the first Haitian American elected to the city's council. "A profound sense of fear, panic, and deep uncertainty."
Leneus said the loss of legal work authorization could also have broader economic consequences.
"TPS holders, especially here in the state of New Jersey combined, pour roughly $265 million into the state economy. In the greater New York area, it's about $1.1 billion," he said. "Many of our businesses are owned and operated by Haitian Americans. So, it's going to have a tremendous impact overall in the state."
Elected officials and faith leaders said fear is growing within Haitian communities in parts of Essex and Union counties, where large Haitian populations reside. They tell News 12 concerns about detention and deportation have left some residents reluctant to even leave their homes.
"We're going to buy groceries, detergent, hygiene products. We're going to drop off to the households until something happens," said Older Azard, a senior pastor in East Orange.
In its original announcement ending TPS protections for Haitians, the Department of Homeland Security said conditions in Haiti had improved enough for citizens to safely return. The agency encouraged individuals who lost TPS to voluntarily leave the United States.
Advocates, however, argue conditions in Haiti remain dangerous.
"They still want 350,000 people to go back into the fire," said Azard. "It's like your house is on fire. You think people would say, 'Oh come, come. I'm going to help you.' They say, 'Oh no, no. Go back to the fire.'"
