Biden Extends Deportation Relief to About 264,000 Haitians

(CTN News) – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced on Monday that the Biden administration would increase deportation relief and access to work permits for Haitians who are already in the country.

This action comes as Haiti’s government struggles to stabilize the nation. After the present designation expires in February, the administration will provide Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to about 264,000 Haitians for 18 months.

According to DHS, around 101,000 now hold the status, and 53,000 have pending applications. The proposed extension motion would also include 110,000 more recent immigrants.

Foreign nationals who cannot return to their home countries because of natural disasters, armed conflicts, or other unusual circumstances are granted TPS, which offers deportation protection and employment authorization.

After President Jovenel Moise’s murder in 2021, armed gangs in Haiti have increased their influence there.

Since then, restoring order has been difficult for Prime Minister Ariel Henry. Following an earthquake that wreaked havoc on the island country in 2010, the US initially granted Haiti TPS.

Former Republican President Donald Trump attempted to revoke TPS for Haiti and other nations, but federal judges prevented him from doing so.

Democratic senator Joe Biden extended Haiti’s categorization in August 2021 to include Haitians who had immigrated during the previous ten years.

Thousands of Haitian migrants entered the US in September 2021, setting up a temporary camp in southern Texas. Some migrants were confronted by U.S. border agents riding horses as they crossed the Rio Grande River.

Images of one agent swinging the reins of his horse dangerously close to a man’s face infuriated lawmakers and advocacy groups.

The extension of TPS to recent immigrants was advocated for by Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who said that Haitians “have been welcomed at our doorway with unparalleled indignity.”

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