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Haitian leaders urge Biden to extend TPS amid deportation fears

Haitian leaders urge Biden to extend TPS amid deportation fears
Haitian leaders urge Biden to extend TPS amid deportation fears 02:52

MIAMI - Haitian leaders are urging President Joe Biden to extend Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians through 2028. 

The program is currently set to expire in February 2026 and immigrant communities are concerned that, starting next week, families could face forced separation and deportation.

Christel Guichette, a South Florida resident, said he is living in fear. His youngest child was born in Miami and his wife has TPS.

However, Guichette himself is still waiting for his application to be approved. He worries that by Monday, his future in the United States may be at risk.

"This is like an emergency," said Marleine Bastien, who works with the Family Action Network Movement and is a Miami-Dade County Commissioner. "President Biden, I am speaking to you directly: extend TPS for Haiti until 2028 to give Haiti a chance to recover."

Guichette, 48, is deeply concerned. Speaking in Creole, he explained his fears about the future. "If the next administration after Biden sends people back to Haiti, they're sending us to die," he said.

Guichette fled to South Florida in October 2023 after being attacked by gangs. He has a scar on his leg as evidence of the violence he endured. Now, he fears being torn apart from his family.

"If I'm forced to leave, my family will be split apart. One will go left, another right, another somewhere else," he said.

His wife, Rosemene, expressed her anguish. "If my husband is forced to return, it would be very hard," she said. "He's here helping raise our son."

Another South Florida resident, Louicius Daniel, is also anxiously waiting to be granted TPS. He fears returning to Haiti. "Haiti isn't safe for us," he said. "People are shooting us. As soon as you arrive, gangs will kidnap you."

Community leaders are also opposing efforts to involve local law enforcement in federal deportation efforts. "To deputize sheriffs and police officers against immigrants would be wrong," they said. "That will destabilize our communities."

Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick has joined the push for a TPS extension, writing an open letter to President Biden signed by 40 other members of Congress. However, the administration has not yet responded.

Community leaders warn that even if Biden extends TPS, President-elect Donald Trump could still revoke it after taking office. Should that happen, they vow to fight the decision in court.

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