A federal court in Washington has stepped in to stop the removal of temporary legal protections for more than 350,000 Haitians living in the United States, a move that would have opened the door to mass deportations to a country gripped by escalating violence.
The ruling blocks the Department of Homeland Security from ending Haiti’s Temporary Protected Status (TPS), which was due to expire midweek. The decision comes against the backdrop of worsening conditions in Haiti, where gang control, political paralysis and economic collapse have forced more than 1.4 million people from their homes.
In her order, the judge found serious flaws in how the decision to terminate the status was made, indicating that required procedures may not have been followed and raising concerns about unequal treatment. The court noted that claims of bias behind the policy shift appeared, at least at this stage, to have substantial grounding.
The case was brought by Haitian nationals who argued that cutting off their protected status would expose them to immediate danger. The court agreed that the risks of return were severe, effectively preserving their right to live and work in the U.S. for now.
Temporary Protected Status is granted to people from countries facing extraordinary crises, allowing them to stay in the U.S. and earn a livelihood while conditions at home remain unsafe. Haiti has held that designation since a catastrophic earthquake in 2010, with repeated extensions as violence, instability and humanitarian needs deepened. The most recent extension, issued last year, was set to run through early February 2026.
The current administration has been moving to roll back TPS designations across multiple countries, arguing the program was never intended to become long-term relief. Officials maintain that Haiti’s designation had outlived its original purpose and insist the policy shift will be challenged in higher courts.
Haiti’s reality, however, remains bleak. International agencies estimate that more than half the population now needs humanitarian assistance, including millions of children, as armed groups tighten their grip and basic services continue to crumble.
For now, the court’s intervention keeps protections in place, offering temporary relief to hundreds of thousands of Haitians whose futures in the United States were suddenly thrown into doubt.
