The Trump administration is encountering significant obstacles in its efforts to deport approximately 350,000 Haitians who lost their Temporary Protected Status (TPS) following a Supreme Court ruling that cleared the way for the program’s termination. Since the decision, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has concentrated enforcement primarily in the Springfield, Ohio, area, where many Haitian TPS holders have settled. Advocacy groups report that at least 50 Haitians in the region have been summoned to immigration offices and fitted with ankle monitors in recent days.

Despite these actions, widespread deportation efforts have been limited by logistical challenges. Deporting large numbers to Haiti is complicated by the unstable security situation in the country’s capital, Port-au-Prince, where gang violence has intensified. As a result, the federal government has prohibited commercial flights to Port-au-Prince, instead routing deportation flights to Cap-Haitien, a northern Haitian port city with less capacity to handle arrivals. Since December 2023, the U.S. has operated roughly one deportation flight per month to Haiti, with the most recent arriving on July 16.

Internal confusion within Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has also slowed enforcement. Some officers have reportedly sought guidance on their authority to arrest Haitian nationals who no longer have legal status. The absence of large-scale raids and visible enforcement nationwide has frustrated hard-line critics, including some Republican politicians and former Trump aides, who argue that deportations should be executed more aggressively.

DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin defended the department’s approach, stating that officials are offering Haitians the opportunity to depart voluntarily before resorting to arrests. He characterized the TPS program as a temporary measure and emphasized that enforcement would proceed. A DHS spokesperson declined to discuss specific or upcoming operations and encouraged those who lost protections to self-deport.

The TPS designation for Haitians was initially granted by the Obama administration following the 2010 earthquake, with periodic extensions due to continued instability, including the assassination of Haiti’s last elected president in 2021. However, the Trump administration aimed to terminate multiple TPS programs, citing their original temporary intent. Alongside Haiti, the government has also moved to end TPS designations for Myanmar and South Sudan, with ongoing pauses in place for Somalia and Ethiopia. The status of other countries, such as El Salvador, remains undecided, though it offers protection to roughly 170,000 people and is scheduled to expire soon.

Advocacy groups report that many Haitians who have lost TPS status are trying to avoid detection by immigration authorities, seeking legal counsel to explore options such as asylum. Concerns about safety in Haiti due to escalating gang violence have led many to refuse voluntary return and remain in hiding.

Legal experts note that while some deportations may proceed quickly for those with final removal orders, many cases will face lengthy proceedings in immigration courts, potentially delaying removals for months or years. The Biden-era approach, which scaled back some enforcement tactics, has created tension within the administration and among enforcement personnel, balancing public safety concerns with political pressures to enforce immigration laws more rigorously.