A US judicial ruling on Temporary Protected Status reflects Haiti's deepening crisis

Yet the Trump administration has signaled its intention to appeal this ruling, and many Haitian nationals face the possibility that they could soon be removed to an unsafe place. 

Ending protected status could not come at a worse time. People across Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital and most populous area, are facing widespread violence, deteriorating living conditions, and a lack of vital services. Since December, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières teams have been treating a surge of wounded people fleeing clashes between the Haitian National Police and armed groups. Thousands of civilians are at risk of gunfire and drone strikes on a daily basis, and many are trapped in the communities where they live.  

Many hospitals and other medical facilities have closed across Port-au-Prince due to increased violence since 2024. More than 1.4 million people in Haiti have been forced to flee their homes, often taking shelter in schools or other public buildings without adequate services. People with urgent medical needs often cannot access timely care.

"Humanitarian conditions in Haiti have not improved — they're actually getting worse," said Tirana Hassan, CEO of MSF USA. "What we see is a country in crisis, where there is an urgent need to restore medical services, drinking water and sanitation, and where armed conflict is only intensifying in residential areas, putting people in grave danger. We call on the US to extend protections for Haitian nationals on humanitarian grounds."