WASHINGTON — Hundreds of thousands of Haitian nationals lost their legal work status in the United States at the end of July following the Trump administration's termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS). An estimated 350,000 Haitians now face the risk of deportation and cannot legally work.
The healthcare industry has been particularly affected. Employers dismissed TPS holders providing direct patient care, leaving families scrambling to replace them.
Linda Mancuso, a mother of two on Long Island, lost her son Michael's Haitian caregiver, Jean, who was laid off in late July from a nonprofit supporting individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities. Jean assisted Michael, a 23-year-old nonverbal man, with showering, sleeping, eating and other daily needs. Mancuso called him "literally a lifeline" for her son. Jean was among 19 Haitian caregivers laid off by the organization.
Anna Fischbein of Sunny Isles Beach, Florida, also lost her Haitian home health care worker. Miriam Singer, CEO of Jewish Community Services of South Florida, had to let go of home health workers after their TPS expired. Staff at a Rockland County group home picked up extra shifts after former Haitian caregivers departed.
The Trump administration announced the TPS termination in June 2025. A subsequent legal challenge reached the Supreme Court, which ruled in favor of the administration, clearing the way for the expiration.
President Trump cancelled TPS for more than a dozen countries during his second term as part of a broader immigration restriction platform. Haitians constitute nearly one-third of all TPS recipients impacted by these terminations.
Kezia Scales, vice president of policy and research at the Paraprofessional Healthcare Institute, said Haiti ranks among the top five countries for immigrants in the direct-care sector. Without immigrants, the domestic market does not have enough workers to fill these jobs. Waitlists for home health aides and assisted living were already long before the recent terminations.
National advocacy groups are campaigning for new policies to strengthen the long-term care workforce, including expanding legal pathways for international caregivers.
