DHS to end Temporary Protected Status for Haiti in February

The Department of Homeland Security announced this week that it will end its Temporary Protected Status designation for thousands of migrants from Haiti in February. 

The TPS program allows certain migrants to stay in the United States legally if they cannot return home due to natural disasters, armed conflicts or other extraordinary events. 

The Secretary of Homeland Security decides 60 days before a designation expires whether to renew the protections or end them. If countries continue to meet certain criteria, the protections can be extended at six, 12 or 18-month intervals.

The TPS program for Haiti is now set to expire on Feb. 3, and it is expected to affect 352,959 Haitian migrants.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem acknowledged that the situation in Haiti, which has been plagued by gang violence, is still concerning but said the United States needed to prioritize its own security first.

"Permitting Haitian nationals to remain temporarily in the United States is contrary to the U.S. national interest," the official DHS termination notice, which was posted Wednesday, said.

The termination notice encouraged Haitian migrants to vacate the country voluntarily before Feb. 3, because they would be given a complimentary plane ticket, the potential to return to the United States legally, and a $1,000 exit bonus.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.