ACLU Comment on TPS Redesignation for Haiti

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration today announced the extension and redesignation of Haiti for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 18 months, from Aug. 4, 2024, to Feb. 3, 2026, “due to extraordinary and temporary conditions in Haiti,” including pervasive violence and the lack of basic necessities such as food, health care, and water.

The move provides humanitarian relief to Haitians already present in the United States on or before June 3, 2024, allowing them to work and reside in the U.S. with legal authorization.

In March, the American Civil Liberties Union joined over 480 organizations in calling for the extension of TPS and a moratorium on deportations to Haiti, given the immense dangers and human rights violations that awaited those deported there.

Maribel Hernández Rivera, the ACLU’s director of policy and government affairs, border and immigration, had the following reaction to today’s announcement:

“We thank the Biden administration for its extension and redesignation of Haiti for Temporary Protected Status. This was the right thing to do. Deportations to Haiti have been a death sentence for some, and we should not be forcing people back to violence and a humanitarian catastrophe. This announcement will help keep potentially hundreds of thousands of people safe, families together, and strengthens all of our communities.”