A massive legal and humanitarian shift is sending shockwaves through South Florida’s Haitian community. Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, has officially expired for over 350 thousand Haitian nationals nationwide, following a Supreme Court ruling that cleared the way for the Trump administration to dismantle the program.
Panic and profound anxiety are the only ways to describe the mood--Florida is home to more than half of the nation's Haitian TPS holders.
As of right now, those individuals have officially lost their legal status and their right to work.
The Department of Homeland Security has bluntly stated that the program's 'free trial' is over, advising individuals to self-deport or face federal removal. Internal Immigration and Customs Enforcement documents leaked just days ago reveal that ICE is already planning a major, aggressive escalation in daily arrests and deportations.
And we are seeing the ripple effects hitting local infrastructure and employers.
Leaked internal documents obtained by federal reporters reveal the Department of Homeland Security is aggressively pushing detainees into existing local facilities. This includes the downtown Miami Federal Detention Center (FDC).
Demonstrators today at the Miramar ICE office are demanding an immediate halt to the planned repatriation flights and are also asking the City of Miami to end its 287(g) partnership with the federal government.