Haiti grapples with thousands of citizens being repatriated home from US

Haitian officials are reportedly struggling to cope with the number of people being deported from the United States. The Trump administration has taken extensive steps to end legal protections for Haitian migrants and deport those who are in the US illegally.

In June, the Supreme Court cleared the way for the Trump administration to end the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians, affecting approximately 330,000 people residing in the US. The administration subsequently moved to end the program and resumed deportations to Haiti, with flights reportedly increased to up to two a week.

TPS is a federal immigration program that allows foreign nationals to remain and work in the US legally if their country faces extraordinary conditions, such as armed conflict or other circumstances that make it unsafe for them to return. However, the designation does not provide permanent residency or citizenship.

The Trump administration has highlighted that TPS was intended to provide temporary relief. Former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem determined that Haiti no longer met the statutory requirements for the designation following a review of the conditions of the country.

“What we would say now is: It’s closing time, which means you don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here,” the Department of Homeland Security said.

Now, the deportations are placing additional pressure on Haitian authorities, who appear unprepared to receive their own people. According to The New York Times, Haitian officials have acknowledged they are "overwhelmed" and fear some deportees are likely to become homeless.

Michel Saint-Croix, the mayor of Cap-Haïtien, said the country needed more time to prepare for the arrivals.

“I would have requested a delay of four to six months to get better prepared,” he said.