Mayorkas protects many from being sent back to troubled Caribbean nation.

The Department of Homeland Security made an important announcement on Friday, revealing its decision to protect an additional 300,000 Haitian nationals from deportation and provide them with work permits. The reason cited for this move was the ongoing humanitarian crisis that has been unfolding in Haiti.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas explained that Haiti has been designated for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for an extended period of 18 months, lasting until February 2026. This redesignation opens up the opportunity for Haitian immigrants, even those residing in the U.S. unlawfully, to apply for protection and obtain work authorization.

In order to qualify for this status, Haitians must have been present in the U.S. as of June 3. It is estimated that this decision will allow an additional 309,000 Haitian nationals to seek TPS, in addition to those who were already covered by prior designations.

TPS is a form of protection granted to individuals from countries deemed unsafe for them to return to, based on armed ongoing conflicts, environmental disasters, or extraordinary and temporary conditions. In the case of Haiti, various regions are still struggling with violence, insecurity, limited access to essential resources like healthcare, food, and water, and are prone to natural disasters such as flooding and earthquakes.

DHS emphasized the urgent humanitarian needs in Haiti, stating, “We are providing this humanitarian relief to Haitians already present in the United States given the conditions that existed in their home country as of June 3, 2024.”

There are currently 16 countries designated for TPS, including Venezuela, Ukraine, Honduras, El Salvador, and Afghanistan. Last year, Mayorkas re-designated Venezuela for TPS, protecting over 470,000 nationals.

The U.S. is grappling with a crisis at the southern border that has been ongoing for three years, becoming a significant political issue leading up to the upcoming election. The Biden administration has faced criticism for its border policies, with Republicans attributing the crisis to their implementation.

The administration has taken several steps to address the situation, including setting a new limit on asylum applications and implementing a “parole in place” provision for some spouses of U.S. citizens. This has led to a 40% decrease in encounters at the border since the announcement of the limit. Despite these efforts, former President Trump condemned President Biden’s handling of the crisis during a recent debate.

Trump stated, “He’s the one that killed people with the bad border including hundreds of thousands of people dying, and also killing our citizens when they come in. We are living right now in a rat’s nest.”