“Haiti is not home for me anymore,” said a Key West Uber driver who we’ll call Jean. “I came to Key West in 2016 because Haiti was very dangerous, very poor. And now it’s worse. I don’t know what will happen. We don’t know.”
Jean is one of about 330,000 Haitian nationals in the United States living in fear of July 24, when the U.S. government is scheduled to end the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) that has allowed immigrants from the troubled island nation to live and work in the United States without fear of being deported.
But a June 25 Supreme Court ruling authorized the Department of Homeland Security to end TPS for Haiti and begin deporting people to a nation deemed too dangerous to visit by the U.S. State Department.
“Do not travel to Haiti for any reason … due to kidnapping, crime, terrorist activity, civil unrest and limited health care. … Mob killings and public assaults are on the rise. … Violent crime is rampant in Haiti. … The expansion of gang, organized crime and terrorist activity has led to widespread violence, kidnappings and sexual assault. … There is a substantial risk of being struck by stray bullets. … There is a risk of terrorist violence. … There are gangs that are designated as terrorist organizations present in Haiti,” said the State Department in July 2025.
Florida is home to an estimated 158,000 Haitians, 93,000 of whom are part of the state’s workforce, which now faces a devastating labor loss in industries such as health care, elder care, hospitality and agriculture. In Key West, Haitian workers are crucial to restaurants, hotels, hospitals and nursing homes.
“The Supreme Court’s decision has significant implications for the more than 93,000 Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders who have built their lives in Florida, as well as for the hospitality and tourism businesses and communities that rely on their contributions,” wrote Carol Dover, president and CEO of the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association (FRLA), in a statement June 30. “Together, these individuals contribute an estimated $2.6 billion annually to Florida’s economy, underscoring the far-reaching impact this decision could have across our state.”
The FRLA, along with the National Restaurant Association and 11 state associations, warned the Department of Homeland Security in June that restaurants and hotels face immediate workforce challenges.
A bill is pending in the U.S. Senate that would extend TPS for Haitians until April 2029. The U.S. House passed a similar bill, but the Senate has yet to consider Senate Bill 4814, which is awaiting a judiciary review.
