US Gives 100K Haitians Protected Status After Killing of President Moise, Political Unrest

On July 29, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) granted Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to individuals in the United States from Haiti that will last for 18 months.

The DHS estimates that under the new order, roughly 100,000 Haitian nationals will become eligible for protected status, bringing the total up to an estimated 155,000 individuals in the United States who could potentially apply or re-apply for the status.

TPS status is offered to qualifying individuals in the United States who come from countries facing armed conflicts and natural disasters. It allows these people to legally live and work in the U.S. for a set period of time.

This move comes as Haiti faces political unrest following the assassination of former President Jovenel Moïse, who led the country from 2017 up until his death on July 7.

Moïse was elected for a five-year term that the U.S. and United Nations recognized as ending in 2022. However, his political opponents argued he should have stepped down in early February of this year, citing a constitutional provision that begins the presidency at the point of election rather than the day that the president takes office.

During his time in office, Moïse did not hold local and national elections, leaving portions of the Caribbean nation's government empty. Moïse also rallied for a referendum set for this September that would expand the power of the Haitian presidency.

Political instability, combined with persistent gang violence, has caused thousands of Haitians to flee their homes. As the government weakened, gangs grew in influence. Human rights group Fondasyon Je Klere reports that more than 150 gangs operate in Haiti, the poorest country in the Western hemisphere.

In 2010, the DHS offered Haitians TPS after a 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck the island nation. The TPS designation was extended several times until its termination in January 2018 under the Trump administration. The DHS statement on the new designation said Haiti warrants such status due to "extraordinary and temporary conditions" that include the political crisis, violence, increases in human rights abuses, food insecurity, waterborne disease epidemics, and high vulnerability to natural hazards.

Following the assassination of Moïse, President Joe Biden issued the following in a statement:

"We are shocked and saddened to hear of the horrific assassination of President Jovenel Moïse," he said. "The United States offers condolences to the people of Haiti, and we stand ready to assist as we continue to work for a safe and secure Haiti."

This response comes as Biden has received criticism for not issuing a greater response. A 1994 interview recently circulated where he said, "If Haiti just quietly sunk into the Caribbean or rose up 300 feet, it wouldn't matter a whole lot to our interests."