Haitian Community Fears Deportation, Death as Immigration Program Faces Elimination

The Trump administration seeks to end Temporary Protected Status for Haitians, putting over a million migrants at risk.

Published on Feb. 12, 2026

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San Diego's Haitian community, like many migrants, is living under the threat of deportation as the Trump administration moves to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians. TPS allows more than one million migrants to legally live and work in the United States, but a judge's recent ruling has given the government until February 19th to submit arguments to an appeals court. For many Haitians, deportation is seen as a death sentence, with reports of violence and killings of deportees who have returned to the country.

Why it matters

The potential elimination of TPS for Haitians would have major ripple effects, throwing the status of thousands of migrants into limbo and disrupting key industries like healthcare and agriculture that rely heavily on Haitian workers. It also raises concerns about the safety of deportees returning to Haiti, where violence by armed groups has made the country extremely dangerous.

The details

Guerline Jozef, founder of the Haitian Bridge Alliance serving migrants in San Diego and Tijuana, has been fighting the administration's efforts to end TPS. She argues that Haitians in the U.S. are either here legally with TPS or pending applications, and should not be declared "illegal" just to facilitate deportation. Reports estimate that around 385 deportees have already arrived in Haiti since the crackdown began, with crowded cargo planes flying into the country's few remaining operating airports.

  • On February 12, 2026, a judge in Washington D.C. ruled against the government's efforts to end TPS for Haitians.
  • The Department of Homeland Security has until February 19, 2026 to submit arguments to the appeals court.

The players

Guerline Jozef

The founder of the Haitian Bridge Alliance, serving migrants in San Diego and Tijuana. She has been fighting the administration's efforts to end TPS for Haitians.

Trump administration

The current U.S. presidential administration that is seeking to end Temporary Protected Status for Haitians, which allows over a million migrants to legally live and work in the United States.

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What they’re saying

“They are either here legally or not. They cannot be here legally, then made illegal just so you can deport them.”

— Guerline Jozef, Founder, Haitian Bridge Alliance (timesofsandiego.com)

“We believe that they know the conditions in Haiti are not something that they can send people into. They would literally be sending people to their deaths, which has been proven.”

— Guerline Jozef, Founder, Haitian Bridge Alliance (timesofsandiego.com)

What’s next

The case blocking the elimination of TPS for Haitians could reach the Supreme Court, similar to a previous case involving a sponsorship program for displaced families from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela.

The takeaway

The potential end of Temporary Protected Status for Haitians would have devastating consequences, throwing the status of over a million migrants into uncertainty, disrupting key industries, and potentially sending deportees back to a country plagued by violence that has proven deadly for some. This case highlights the high stakes involved in the ongoing battle over immigration policy in the United States.