The recent termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti has raised numerous concerns about the fate of a Haitian population well-ingrained into the fabric of this country. Approximately 350,000 individuals—many of whom are healthcare workers, community leaders, and business owners—are facing imminent deportation.
What are country conditions like in Haiti?
Is Haiti dangerous?
The U.S. Department of State has prohibited Americans from traveling to Haiti due to the risk of “crime, kidnapping, terrorism, unrest, and limited health care.” The island nation continues to endure a shocking humanitarian crisis made worse by political and economic collapse, widespread infrastructural damage, and the terrorizing violence and control of armed groups.
The TPS designation protected Haitians in the United States from being deported back to the nation’s dangerous conditions. Those conditions have not improved—so why are government officials now saying it is safe to forcibly return hundreds of thousands of vulnerable individuals to the same country?
The crises facing Haiti are complex and long-standing. Here’s why the U.S. must reverse course.
Haiti: Then and Now
For decades, Haiti has been the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. The country, formerly known as Saint-Domingue, was the first island nation to declare independence in 1804 following a large-scale slave rebellion. Despite their clear victory, however, other states failed to recognize Haiti as an independent nation—resulting in international repercussions and over 100 years of debt.
Poverty and Political Unrest in Haiti
Corruption and extreme political repression plagued Haiti throughout the second half of the twentieth century, creating unrest and poverty and ultimately hindering Haiti’s transition to democracy. Longstanding governance challenges have stunted Haiti’s economic growth, contributing to widespread poverty and limited access to essential services.
Haiti’s first democratically elected president was deposed twice by coups, prompting U.S. military intervention and the instatement of a UN peacekeeping mission, which brought additional challenges and abuses of power. Elections often led to violent protests and, in 2021, the assassination of the president. Haiti has not held a legitimate presidential election since the assassination, creating a massive power vacuum that has been filled by armed gangs.
Gang Violence in Haiti
Gang violence has predominantly been concentrated in Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince—80 percent of which is under gang control. But now, violence has expanded and intensified outside of the city.
Nearly 1.5 million Haitians (over half of whom are women and girls) have been internally displaced as gangs fight for territorial control and dominance. Many displaced people are living in overcrowded and unsafe makeshift shelters without access to basic services such as clean drinking water and sanitation.
Do Haitians have access to healthcare and basic human necessities?
Today, 6.4 million people in Haiti are in desperate need of humanitarian assistance, and over half of the Haitian population is experiencing acute food insecurity. 1.2 million of those individuals are children under the age of five. Only 10 percent of the nation’s hospitals are currently operational, and cholera remains a major health concern across the island, with thousands of cases popping up monthly.
Healthcare shortages disproportionately impact women and girls, who are often unable to seek treatment for sexual and reproductive health concerns, including prenatal and obstetric care and trauma-informed care after incidents of gender-based violence (GBV). As a result, pregnancy rates have increased and, consequently, maternal mortality—particularly amongst women and girls living in displacement camps.
Constant Threat of Violence
Because so many Haitians live in insecure environments, the entire population has become more exposed to violence.
Between January and November 2025, over 8,100 homicides were recorded. In a recent Port-au-Prince attack led by clashing gangs, the UN Integrated Office in Haiti reported that at least 613 people were killed and 375 injured over the course of five months, and over 176 incidents of rape of women and girls from ages 10-71 were reported.
At least 1,600 schools have closed due to violence, leaving 1.5 million children lacking access to basic education. As a result, children are being forced to join armed groups as a means of supporting their families or due to threats of violence. Some children are also being forcibly recruited as a means of survival or protection, or after being separated from their families. There has also been an increase in the trafficking of children by armed groups.
Sexual violence has been weaponized by gangs to demonstrate authority, punish opponents, humiliate, and terrorize and disrupt the social fabric of communities. The UN reported a 163 percent increase of GBV cases in 2025. Women and girls are the most impacted group and are frequently targeted while carrying out daily activities, such as going to the market, school, or work. The complete breakdown of the justice system and the collapse of the healthcare system have made reporting crimes nearly impossible, as women and girls had often reported these crimes while being treated in a medical center. As a result, GBV is grossly underreported in Haiti, efforts to address the endemic levels of violence have been minimal, and the rate of violence continues to threaten millions of women and girls on a daily basis.
Climate Shocks and Natural Disasters
Does Haiti have many natural disasters? What happened with the earthquake in Haiti in 2010?
Haiti also suffers more severe natural disasters than most countries in the Caribbean. In 2010, a massive 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti, leaving a lasting impact that the population still copes with almost sixteen years later. Around 220,000 people were killed in the earthquake and 1.5 million were displaced. Reconstruction costs superseded the country’s annual GDP, forcing the government to rely heavily on foreign aid. Haitians living in already dismal conditions suddenly faced compounding factors of homelessness, unemployment, shortages of food and clean water, and disease. In recent years, conditions in Haiti have been worsened by climate change and climate shocks will likely continue to drastically disrupt the nation for years to come.
We Must Not Abandon Haitians
Has TPS been terminated for Haiti? What will happen to Haitians that are deported?
Following the 2011 earthquake, Haiti was designated by the United States government for temporary protected status, giving shelter to
57,000 Haitians in the country.
Due to sustained unrest and devastation, TPS continued to be renewed, as policymakers deemed it too dangerous for Haitian children and families to return.
Given current conditions, families in Haiti do not have access to the essential elements of safety, functioning healthcare, or secure education that children need to learn, grow, and thrive. To uproot hundreds of thousands of forcibly displaced individuals from safety in the United States and force their return to Haiti means sentencing them to violence, hunger, disease, and potentially death.
As a country, we agreed to protect individuals from conditions such as these, and we must honor that commitment.
Temporary Protected Status (TPS) is a lifesaving humanitarian protection tool in U.S. immigration law.
Please urge your Senators, Representatives, and Governors to act now to avert imminent catastrophe and protect Haitian children and families!
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