A significant number of Haitians are contemplating leaving the United States after the Trump administration terminated their Temporary Protected Status (TPS). The protections, which previously shielded more than 330,000 Haitians from deportation, officially expired on August 5 following a protracted legal battle that reached the U.S. Supreme Court. Federal officials are now actively encouraging those affected to depart the country.
Reports from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and various migrant advocacy groups indicate that many are looking toward Canada, particularly the French-speaking province of Quebec. While French is an official language in Haiti, Haitian Creole remains the primary language used by the population. Advocates warn that those attempting to cross the border illegally face severe risks.
Jenn McIntyre of the Canada-U.S. Border Rights Clinic described the potential consequences for migrants as “dire.” Under a bilateral agreement established in March 2023, most individuals caught crossing the border illegally are immediately detained by U.S. federal immigration authorities and face potential deportation. McIntyre noted that the situation is fraught with high stakes, and many migrants remain poorly informed about the profound legal risks involved in their journey.
Although migrant rights organizations lack precise data on the number of Haitians currently moving north, anecdotal evidence suggests a marked increase in interest since the administration signaled the end of TPS. Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada data shows fluctuating figures for Haitian asylum-seekers in recent years, with totals reaching 7,864 in 2024 before climbing to 14,192 in 2025. In the first quarter of this year, 1,734 Haitians sought protection in Canada.
The Department of Homeland Security has not clarified whether Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will specifically target Haitians who lost their status. However, the agency stated that those who choose to leave voluntarily may be eligible for a $2,600 payment and a flight home. Defending the policy change, the department emphasized that TPS was intended to be temporary rather than a pathway to permanent residency or de facto amnesty.
For many, the loss of status also means the loss of work authorization, leaving them to choose between remaining in the U.S. illegally or seeking a new life elsewhere. Julia Sande, an immigration attorney with Amnesty International, noted that as people lose their legal standing and feel increasingly unsafe in the U.S., the prospect of moving to Canada becomes more attractive. Many migrants perceive Canada as a more welcoming environment compared to the U.S. under the current administration.
The impact is being felt acutely in cities like Boston and Springfield, Ohio. In Springfield, some Haitian immigrants have been fitted with GPS-based ankle monitors by ICE to restrict their travel. These measures follow controversial and unsubstantiated claims made by President Trump and Vice President JD Vance during the 2024 campaign regarding the community. Sarang Sekhavat of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition noted that approximately 45,000 Haitians in Massachusetts have lost their status, leaving families in a state of uncertainty.
Sekhavat highlighted that many of these individuals have lived in the U.S. for decades, establishing homes, businesses, and families, with some raising U.S. citizen children. The potential for forced departure threatens to push these families into poverty. Jill Habig, founder of the Public Rights Project, warned that the human cost would be felt nationwide, noting that TPS-holders contributed roughly $4.4 billion annually to the U.S. economy through taxes.
The concentration of Haitian TPS-holders is highest in Miami, New York, and Boston. In Massachusetts alone, 2,000 individuals affected by the policy change were employed in nursing homes. For most, returning to Haiti is not a viable option, as the U.S. government maintains that the country is too dangerous for travel due to gang violence and the lack of an effective central government.
The surge in asylum claims in Canada gained momentum after the border reopened to non-essential travel in August 2021. According to Halani Immigration Services, total asylum claims peaked at 171,675 in 2024. A significant factor in the current landscape is the closure of a popular irregular crossing site in upstate New York in 2023, which forced migrants to seek alternative, more dangerous routes.
Since 2015, nearly 59,000 Haitians have sought asylum in Canada. Under current Canadian law, refugees who cross the border and remain undetected for 14 days may apply for asylum. This specific provision has been exploited by human smugglers, who charge migrants approximately $1,000 to provide GPS coordinates and instructions on how to evade surveillance cameras while crossing into Canada.
RCMP Cpl. Samuel Perreault-Magny, who patrols the border, expressed the emotional difficulty of the situation, noting the presence of families with young children attempting these crossings. As the situation evolves, advocates continue to urge caution, emphasizing that the legal pathways remain narrow and the physical risks of the journey are substantial.
In 2010, both Canada and the United States began allowing Haitians to live in their countries following a deadly earthquake and subsequent political upheaval in their country.
“For too long, TPS has been allowed to function as a de facto amnesty program despite Congress never intending it to be permanent.”
In Springfield, Ohio, some Haitians have been called into ICE offices and fitted with GPS-based ankle monitors to limit their movements to within 75 miles of home.
French is one of Haiti’s official languages, though Haitian Creole is far more prevalent in the former French colony.
Sekhavat said the situation reminds him how some Muslims living in the United States following the 9/11 attacks sought sanctuary in Canada.
“Everyone is still trying to figure out what’s best for them and their families now,” he said.
“A lot of folks – it’s very difficult to just pick up and leave,” Sekhavat said.
“The idea of going back to Haiti, for the majority of folks, is just not really an option at all.”
It lacks an effective central government, and criminal gangs largely control the streets.
Asylum claims in Canada began surging after the U.S.-Canada border reopened to non-essential travel in August 2021 following the initial COVID-19 pandemic closure, according to Toronto-based Halani Immigration Services Inc.
Asylum claims for all arrivals peaked at 171,675 in 2024, according to the firm’s analysis, and began dropping sharply last year.
That loophole prompted human smugglers to create a system under which asylum-seekers who pay roughly $1,000 each receive GPS coordinates and instructions on how to illegally cross into Canada, evade surveillance cameras and wait out the 14-day period in Montreal-area safe houses, Mounties told.
Compared to the U.S-Mexico border, there are fewer physical barriers blocking entry into Canada.
“These are people who already think they are going to die.
That’s the hardest part, being a police officer.
You feel for these people – a mother with a 10-year-old,” RCMP Cpl.
Samuel Perreault-Magny said last month as he patrolled the U.S.-Canada border.
President Barack Obama first granted TPS to Haitians in January 2010 after the earthquake devastated their island.
Trump unsuccessfully tried to end it during his first term; it was then extended under the Biden administration.
