US to extend temporary deportation protection to Haitians

Temporary Protected Status shields Haitian citizens already in the US from deportation and grants them work permits.

The United States will expand temporary protection against deportation to Haitian citizens already in the country, the Department of Homeland Security announced on Saturday, in a move that was welcomed by immigration advocates as “long overdue”. Temporary Protected Status (TPS) shields migrants from designated nations from deportation and grants them work permits in the US on the basis that it would be unsafe to return them to their home countries due to a crisis, such as armed conflict or a natural disaster. The new, 18-month designation will apply to Haitians who have been living in the US as of May 21, and who also meet other eligibility criteria, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Majorkas said in a statement.