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The Department of Homeland Security terminated Temporary Protected Status for Haitians effective July 27 following a Supreme Court ruling on June 25 that upheld the Trump administration’s decision, according to Reuters. The move stripped work authorization from beneficiaries who had lived legally in the United States for years, many of them employed in healthcare roles. Employers including nursing homes and group facilities responded with immediate contract endings, Reuters reported, as federal rules required them to remove workers lacking valid authorization.
A Princeton University analysis of census data placed the number of Haitian TPS holders working as caregivers and nursing assistants at around 21,000 as of last year, with those individuals serving approximately 77,000 patients, Reuters reported. The departures added pressure to a long-term care sector already reporting widespread staffing shortages, NPR noted in coverage citing public health experts. Providers in New York, Florida and Massachusetts have turned to overtime and agency staff to maintain operations, according to industry statements relayed by the news outlet.
Jawonio, a New York nonprofit operating group homes for people with developmental disabilities, terminated nearly two dozen Haitian caregivers last month, equating to 7 percent of its total staff, the organization told Reuters. One resident named Richie Rosen said of his former aide Tassy, “I miss him a lot,” and recalled how the caregiver had assisted with daily tasks and transportation. Richie’s mother Sharon Rosen told Reuters that Tassy had been “like family” to her son, who did not have an opportunity to say goodbye before the contract ended.
The BBC reported that some families referred to their dismissed Haitian caregivers with the phrase “he was a lifeline,” capturing the depth of reliance built over years of consistent support. In South Florida, Jewish Community Services of South Florida ended contracts for 18 Haitian home health aides after the status lapse, AP News reported. An 87-year-old client named Anna Fischbein told the outlet, “I lost not only a lady working for me, I lost a friend,” describing a decade-long relationship that included help with bathing, meals and transportation.
The Washington Post documented parallel layoffs at airports, schools and additional nursing homes, where hundreds of Haitian workers including janitors, dietary aides and bus drivers were dismissed across the East Coast and Midwest. The Palm Beach County School District in Florida released nearly 20 such employees, a district spokesperson confirmed to the newspaper. Union representatives from the Service Employees International Union told the publication that the cuts disrupted services ranging from wheelchair assistance at airports to cafeteria operations in schools.
Physician Stephanie Woolhandler told NPR that the losses compound an existing crisis in which two-thirds of hospitals had already closed beds due to insufficient personnel before the TPS changes. LeadingAge, an association representing nonprofit aging services providers, warned in statements to multiple outlets that facilities may limit new admissions or turn away home care requests until replacements are found. Data from the American Immigration Council cited in sector analyses indicated that Haitian-born workers comprise about 6 percent of immigrant health aides nationwide.
