PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — A looming deadline is putting thousands of Haitian families on edge.
Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians is set to expire on Feb. 3, potentially impacting more than 300,000 people nationwide, many of them living in South Florida.
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After months of legal back-and-forth, all eyes are now on U.S. District Court Judge Ana C. Reyes, who is expected to decide by Feb. 2 whether to suspend the termination of the program, just one day before protections are set to expire.
TPS allows people from countries facing war, natural disasters, or extreme instability to live and work legally in the United States for a limited time.
For thousands of Haitians, that opportunity began 15 years ago, after a devastating 2010 earthquake killed more than 200,000 people and displaced millions.
Now, after years of political unrest, gang violence, and economic collapse, that protection may soon disappear — along with work authorization for those who rely on it.
Local Haitian advocate Jennifer Jones said the uncertainty is taking a toll.
"I fear for my people," Jones said.
Palm Beach County
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Even as a U.S. citizen, Jones said she has not been able to safely return to Haiti.
"I have cousins still in Haiti who tell me from one end to another of their neighborhood, there's at least four different gangs collecting money," she said.
She said many of her friends, family members, and clients in South Florida now face an impossible reality — people who have built lives here, working jobs, raising children and even owning homes.
"When you tell us as U.S. citizens that it's dangerous for us to go back to Haiti and yet you want to send people back there saying that it's safe enough for them, I don't understand the logic," Jones said.
Immigration attorney Philip Brutus said many TPS holders are running out of time and choices.
"For a lot of these people, there's not much hope," Brutus said.
He said some may be able to apply for asylum, but that option is narrow.
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"They have reasonable time after termination of their lawful status to apply for asylum," he explained.
However, Jones notes that asylum comes with strict limits.
"For political asylum, you have to apply within a year of your arrival," she said.
That disqualifies thousands of Haitians who came to the U.S. after the 2010 earthquake.
Brutus said his office has seen an influx of clients, 10 to 15 people a day in recent months. His biggest concern?
"ICE — grabbing folks on the way to court, " said Brutus.
As the deadline approaches, advocates are urging the community to speak out and stay engaged.
"Make sure that the elected officials that you put in positions of power are the ones speaking for your community," Jones said.
Brutus adds that Haiti is not in a position to accept deportees.
"Something has to give here, because Haiti cannot receive any deportees right now," he said.
