The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced an extension and redesignation of a temporary amnesty program for approximately 309,000 Haitian nationals residing in the United States, ensuring they remain eligible to work in the country and avoid deportation.
DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas made the announcement late last week, extending the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian nationals who would otherwise be subject to deportation. The latest move effectively doubles the number of Haitian nationals eligible to remain in the U.S. and work until February 2026, provided they were in the country as of June 3, 2024.
Mayorkas explained that the humanitarian relief is being provided to Haitians already present in the U.S. due to the conditions in their home country as of June 3, 2024, emphasizing the core objective of the TPS law and the obligation to fulfill it.
Notably, the TPS program has evolved into a de facto amnesty program over the years, with consecutive administrations, from Clinton to Biden, continuously renewing the program for various countries. Today, nearly 900,000 foreign nationals in the U.S. are shielded from deportation after securing TPS, with the majority hailing from Venezuela, Haiti, El Salvador, Honduras, and Ukraine.
