Washington, D.C. – November 26, 2025 – The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has published the long-awaited Federal Register notice formally terminating Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti, ending legal protection for an estimated 353,000 Haitian nationals living in the United States.
Signed by Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, the notice confirms that Haiti’s TPS designation will expire on February 3, 2026, with no further extension planned.
The decision follows a July 1, 2025, announcement that initially aimed to end the program on September 2, 2025. A federal court injunction delayed implementation until the Biden-era extension’s original expiration date of February 3, 2026 — a deadline the Trump administration has now upheld.
In the official filing, Secretary Noem stated that interagency reviews determined Haiti “no longer meets the statutory conditions” for TPS designation, citing stabilized environmental conditions from the 2010 earthquake and alignment with current U.S. national interests.
What This Means for 353,000 Haitians in the U.S.
- As of February 4, 2026, current TPS holders will lose work authorization and protection from deportation unless they qualify for another form of legal status (asylum, family sponsorship, etc.).
- Haitian nationals who arrived after the last eligibility cutoff (June 3, 2024) were never covered and remain undocumented.
- Employers must begin re-verifying work authorization for TPS employees before the deadline.
A Program Born from Catastrophe
Haiti was first designated for TPS on January 21, 2010, days after a catastrophic 7.0 earthquake devastated the country, killing over 220,000 people and displacing 1.5 million.
Over the past 15 years, the designation has been repeatedly extended due to ongoing crises: political instability, cholera outbreaks, hurricanes, assassinations, and the explosion of gang violence that now controls most of Port-au-Prince.
The Biden administration’s final 18-month extension in July 2024 was the longest in recent years and allowed newly arrived Haitians (present since June 2024) to apply — swelling the beneficiary population to its current level of approximately 353,000.
Economic and Community Impact
TPS holders from Haiti contribute an estimated $5.8 billion annually to the U.S. economy through taxes, Social Security, and Medicare contributions — particularly in states like Florida, New York, Massachusetts, and New Jersey.
Many work in essential industries:
- Healthcare (nursing assistants, home health aides)
- Construction and rebuilding efforts post-hurricanes
- Hospitality and service sectors
Community leaders and immigration advocates have already begun mobilizing, warning of potential humanitarian and economic fallout if hundreds of thousands suddenly lose legal status.
Next Steps and Options
DHS has indicated it will publish detailed guidance in the coming weeks on:
- How current TPS holders can wind down affairs
- Available pathways to alternative legal status
- Enforcement priorities after February 3
Immigration attorneys are urging affected individuals to consult accredited representatives immediately to explore asylum, adjustment of status, or other relief options before the deadline.
This marks the first major TPS termination under the second Trump administration and signals a significant shift in policy for one of the largest and longest-running TPS populations in the United States.
We will continue to provide updates as guidance is released and reactions pour in from Haitian communities nationwide.
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