Press Releases
CONGRESSWOMAN PLASKETT EXPRESSES DEEP CONCERN OVER THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S DECISION TO END PROTECTIONS FOR HAITIAN IMMIGRANTS
Washington, DC,
June 28, 2025
For Immediate Release Contact: Tionee Scotland PRESS RELEASE CONGRESSWOMAN PLASKETT EXPRESSES DEEP CONCERN OVER THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S DECISION TO END PROTECTIONS FOR HAITIAN IMMIGRANTS Washington, DC – Congresswoman Stacey E. Plaskett (VI-AL) today strongly condemned the Trump administration's announcement that it will terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for more than 300,000 Haitian immigrants currently living in the United States, calling the decision "morally unconscionable and recklessly shortsighted to our national interest." "The Trump administration's decision to end TPS for Haitians is not just cruel—it is potentially deadly. Haiti remains in a state of complete collapse, overrun by gangs, wracked with violence, and under a state of emergency. The State Department itself warns Americans not to travel there due to widespread violent crime. Furthermore, the U.S. State Department has been in negotiations with multiple country partners to find ways to stem the continued collapse of the country. How can this administration claim it is safe to deport hundreds of thousands of people to a country they themselves have designated as too dangerous for American tourists and a threat to regional stability? "The Department of Homeland Security's announcement on Friday that the protections, which have shielded Haitians from deportation since 2010 following the devastating earthquake, will expire on September 2, 2025. The administration justified the decision by claiming that, 'the environmental situation in Haiti has improved enough that it is safe for Haitian citizens to return home'—a statement that directly contradicts the State Department's actions regarding Haiti. "This administration is playing politics with people's lives. These are families who have built lives here, contribute to our communities, pay taxes from their wages and deserve our protection—not deportation to a nation in chaos. Throughout my tenure in Congress, I have worked tirelessly to ensure that our immigration policies reflect our values of compassion and humanity. This includes my work as a Co-Chair of the Congressional Caribbean Caucus to push back against discriminatory policies, to recognize the national security threat to the United States from a de-stabled Haiti, and my efforts to secure humanitarian aid for the Caribbean region. "This is part of a systematic campaign to dismantle protections for the world's most vulnerable people. Congress must act swiftly to provide legislative protections for these families. We cannot stand by while this administration turns its back on our moral obligations and puts hundreds of thousands of lives at risk. Additionally, the financial support those in the United States provide to families back in Haiti through remittances have been key to staving off poverty and additional instability in the country. In 2023, U.S. remittances to Haiti were over $3.8 Billion dollars. Plaskett went on to discuss, “As a member of the Intelligence Committee, I have focused quite a bit on our third border—the Caribbean region—and threats to the United States. Instability in the Caribbean presents threats of increased human and drug trafficking into the mainland, democratic collapse with malign influence of China and Russia, and reduced economic trade.” “This action does not advance American interests. The administration's actions betray the best of American values, Western Hemisphere interests and Caribbean solidarity." ### |