The Department of Homeland Security said notices are being sent by email, telling the people in question that both their temporary legal status and their work permit was revoked “effective immediately.” The notices say immigrants leaving and using the CBP Home mobile app will receive a $1,000 exit bonus to facilitate travel.
Two weeks ago, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that even while a federal court case continued about the overall legality of ending humanitarian parole, the people here under that program were no longer protected.
But for Haitians, leaving a life they’ve worked for in the U.S. and returning to a country which the U.S. has deemed unsafe for citizens due to rampant gang violence is unviable, Dorsainvil said Friday. Going to Canada is an option, but immigration there is difficult without having family already residing in the country.
Dorsainvil said the Trump administration’s immigration actions don’t make sense, arguing that the U.S. should work with immigrants to help them stay in the country. He said the recent travel ban demonstrates that the Trump administration understands the danger in Haiti.
“Because you yourself as an administration see everything that is going on down there and even go ahead and impose that kind of travel ban on the country because of the situation.” Dorsainvil said. “I don’t know the logic of deporting people to a country that you’re banning from coming to your country because of insecurity and all the gangs.”
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
A travel ban on 12 countries — Haiti, Afghanistan, Chad, Myanmar, the Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Equatorial Guinea, Iran, Somalia, Yemen, Libya and Sudan — took effect Monday.
Dorsainvil said he has not heard of anyone receiving removal orders in Springfield so far, but some are deciding whether to leave the United States for somewhere other than Haiti.
He spoke with a couple Thursday who were weighing their options of returning to Brazil, where they had gone after Haiti, or going to Canada.
“At this point even the decision that they should take is very difficult because some of them are limited in terms of resources. Imagine going back to Brazil with two children, [that] will cost them a lot,” Dorsainvil said. “And they don’t have any family members in Canada. So it’s as if they’re being trapped, as the wife said.”
Many immigrants who entered under humanitarian parole also received Temporary Protected Status. That was supposed to last until at least February 2026, but the Trump administration moved up that deadline to Aug. 3. Other immigrants may have entered the country too late to apply for TPS and some are seeking asylum, a harder status to achieve.
In Haiti, severe poverty and political instability have been worsened by a series of natural disasters. In 2021, Haiti’s president was assassinated. In 2023, the U.S. ordered all non-essential personnel to leave the country. In March 2024, a state of emergency was declared as violent gangs had taken over much of the country. Last fall, the largest airport was closed because gangs were firing at planes.
The U.S. government’s State Department has had a “Do Not Travel” advisory on Haiti for over eight months, citing “kidnapping, crime, civil unrest, and limited health care.”
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine told reporters Friday that employers will see an impact if they lose Haitian employees. He said Haitian immigrants work hard to support their families.
“These Haitians are contributing to society. They’re allowing us to produce things and without them, these companies are going to have a very difficult time doing what they need to do,” DeWine said. “They may lose a second shift. Their production may be significantly down. Those are just the facts.”
Dorsainvil said he is continuing to advise employers and employees that they can continue working until they receive a notice to the contrary.
On the Department of Homeland Security website, a statement from Secretary Kristi Noem suggests that those who leave now will preserve an opportunity to return to the U.S. through other legal means later.
“If you are here illegally, use the CBP Home app to take control of your departure and receive financial support to return home,” Noem said. “If you don’t, you will be subject to fines, arrest, deportation and will never be allowed to return.”
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