U.S. begins deportation flights for Haitians as TPS protections expire
The United States has started deporting Haitians who lost Temporary Protected Status, with Immigration and Customs Enforcement moving people back to Haiti as...
The United States has started deporting Haitians who lost Temporary Protected Status, with Immigration and Customs Enforcement moving people back to Haiti as the Trump administration’s crackdown on the program takes hold. The first flights have already landed, and officials say more are coming soon.
Flights start after TPS ends
The shift comes after the end of remaining protections for Haitian TPS holders, leaving hundreds of thousands facing removal and the loss of work permits. CBS News reported that ICE has drawn up plans to arrest and deport Haitian migrants quickly, including in Ohio, where large Haitian communities have been the focus of political attacks in recent years.
The U.S. government has also informed Haiti to expect regular deportation flights. Haitian media reported in July that weekly flights for TPS holders were being signaled, while another report said two planeloads a week were expected to begin soon.
Fast. Relentless.
ICE prepares a wider deportation push
Internal documents reviewed by CBS News said the plan includes moving people swiftly onto flights to Haiti, a country already struggling with severe instability. The reports said the arrests and flights would target Haitians in places such as Ohio, where politicians and commentators have repeatedly singled out Haitian communities.
The Washington Post reported this week that ICE has already begun deporting Haitians who lost TPS back to their homeland. The agency’s move follows the Supreme Court’s recent decision backing the Trump administration’s effort to end TPS protections for Haitians and Syrians, with the binding mandate set to reach lower courts on Monday.
Contracting and capacity
Behind the scenes, DHS is also looking for help to run the flights. A posting reviewed by NOTUS said the department started searching this week for a contractor that could handle flight operations, maintenance and logistics support for its existing fleet.
That would mark a change for the agency, which has traditionally relied on charter flights and military aircraft for deportations. Earlier this year, President Donald Trump’s administration set aside $464.5 million for DHS to buy aircraft to support the broader deportation push.
The next move now appears to be scale. More flights are expected, and Haitian communities in the U.S. are bracing for the pace to pick up.
