Court extends Haitian TPS protections through July 27 in Broward County

A court extended protections for Haitians with Temporary Protected Status through Monday, July 27, giving Broward County families a few more days to keep work permits active, pay rent and make school and child-care plans while the legal fight continued.

On July 10, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services said Haiti TPS employment authorization documentation remained valid through July 24 because of a court order, after a federal court temporarily blocked the termination on Feb. 2. On June 25, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Mullin v. Doe that the government could end TPS for Haitians and Syrians, and on July 23 a federal appeals court blocked the administration from ending Haitian TPS through the weekend.

Broward County Planning and Development said in July 2024 that more than 120,000 county residents are of Haitian descent, including over 4,000 who recently immigrated in 2022. County data put Broward at about 25% of Florida’s Haitian population and identified Miramar, Lauderhill, Pompano Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Lauderdale Lakes as top cities for Haitian residents. In those neighborhoods, TPS status can determine whether a parent keeps working, whether a lease gets renewed and whether a family can avoid sudden disruption to school and care routines.

Haitian community members and supporters described the Supreme Court ruling as having “devastating consequences.” A Feb. 4 Haitian Bridge Alliance letter warned that questions had been raised about the current employment authorization of Haitian TPS holders under a court order in Lesly Miot et al. v. Trump et al.

Sant La Haitian Neighborhood Center and Haitian Bridge Alliance have circulated guidance and resources for TPS holders and employers as South Florida families try to figure out what paperwork still works and how long they have before the next deadline.