PIH Statement on the Rollback of Temporary Protected Status for Haitians

Partners In Health (PIH) strongly condemns the recent decision by the Trump administration to prematurely end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for nearly 520,000 Haitians living in the United States in August 2025. Our partners at the Haitian Bridge Alliance put it clearly:

“This decision is a direct attack on Haitian communities who have lived, worked, and contributed to the United States for decades. It disregards both the legal protections that TPS provides and the ongoing instability in Haiti, where gang violence, political turmoil, and economic devastation make safe return impossible.” 

Haiti is in a state of emergency, with the Associated Press reporting that as of January 2025, over 1 million Haitians have been internally displaced, primarily due to gang-related violence—triple that from the previous year. 

This violence has led to the prolonged closure of major hospitals and a critical shortage of medical supplies and personnel for those that remain open. Notably, only about 41% of health facilities remain fully operational, with many forced to shut down due to security concerns or lack of resources, further exacerbated by the US government’s freeze on aid in effect since January 24th. 

At the same time, nearly half of the country’s population is experiencing acute food insecurity with drastic increases in the number of children suffering from severe acute malnutrition. The current health system cannot sufficiently meet the demand of Haiti’s current population of 11.6 million people. The forced return of an additional half a million Haitians from the United States will exacerbate these challenges, overwhelming the already fragile system. 

Despite these challenging situations and risky environment, the team at Zanmi Lasante, PIH’s sister organization in Haiti, remain committed as never before --providing hope and health care to the best of our capacity. 

Partners In Health joins our voices with the Haitian Bridge Alliance and other partners calling for the current administration to immediately halt deportations to Haiti and to reinstate TPS for Haitians protecting their right to safety and stability.