Connect with us

Politics

U.S. ends TPS for Haitians, telling hundreds of thousands to leave by February

Published

on


The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced that it is formally terminating Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian nationals, ordering hundreds of thousands of people legally living and working in the U.S. to prepare to leave early next year.

TPS for Haiti will end Feb. 3, 2026. DHS instructs beneficiaries to depart if they cannot secure another lawful basis to remain stateside.

“After consulting with interagency partners, Secretary (Kristi) Noem concluded that Haiti no longer meets the statutory requirements for TPS,” the announcement said. “This decision was based on a review conducted by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, input from relevant U.S. government agencies, and an analysis indicating that allowing Haitian nationals to remain temporarily in the United States is inconsistent with U.S. national interests.”

As of March 31, there were 330,735 Haitian nationals who received TPS approval to live in the U.S. — the second-most of any country, following Venezuela, according to a Congressional Research Service report. Nearly a third of America’s 1.3 million TPS holders live in Florida.

DHS is directing Haitians to report self-departures using the CBP Home mobile app, a program marked as a “secure and convenient” self-deportation process that includes a free plane ticket, a $1,000 “exit bonus” and the promise of possible future eligibility for legal status.

The announcement is the latest escalation in President Donald Trump’s aggressive rollback of humanitarian protections and work authorization programs. Since retaking office in January 2025, the administration has moved to terminate TPS or humanitarian parole for nationals of Haiti, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Syria, Somalia, Burma, Cameroon, Afghanistan and others, while encouraging people losing status to self-deport using CBP Home.

The announcement, issued Wednesday, comes as Haiti faces dire humanitarian and security crises.

Immigrant rights advocates and legal experts say DHS is ignoring catastrophic conditions in Haiti. The Miami Herald reports that 5.7 million Haitians—more than half the population—face acute hunger. Some 1.4 million are internally displaced, and as many as one in four of the island nation’s 12 million people live in gang-controlled neighborhoods.

Criminal organizations now control roughly 90% of Port-au-Prince and all major roads in and out of the capital, while kidnappings, rapes and killings number in the thousands this year. Hurricane Melissa recently deepened shortages, killing dozens and severing already-fragile supply routes.

The termination also follows a surge in xenophobic rhetoric targeting Haitians during last year’s presidential campaign, when Trump, Vice President JD Vance falsely claimed Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, were eating cats and dogs — a debunked conspiracy theory amplified at the time by numerous other Republicans and condemned by many elected leaders in the Haitian American community.

The false claims sparked multiple bomb threats that shut down government offices, hospitals and schools, prompting widespread outrage and a retraction by the woman who had initially spread the rumor on local social media.

According to an analysis of public and U.S. Census data by the libertarian Cato Institute think tank, immigrants from Haiti have an incarceration rate 48% lower than U.S.-born Americans.

Haiti first received TPS after the catastrophic 2010 earthquake, which killed hundreds of thousands and left more than 1 million homeless. The country has since faced repeated natural disasters, another major earthquake in 2021, and cascading political upheaval culminating in the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse.

Gangs filled the power vacuum, seizing police stations, ports and fuel terminals while pushing families into makeshift shelters in churches, schools and stadiums. In July, the United Nations said Haiti’s gangs had “near-total control” of the capital city of Port-au-Prince.

Legal battles have slowed but not stopped the administration’s push to end TPS for Haiti, which began one month into Trump’s second term.

In July, U.S. District Judge Brian Cogan in New York blocked a DHS attempt to move up the TPS end date by five months, ruling the government violated notice requirements. Then in September, U.S. District Judge Edward Chen in San Francisco halted terminations for more than 1 million Haitian and Venezuelan TPS holders, calling the actions by DHS arbitrary and capricious.

The U.S. Supreme Court, however, has granted multiple emergency requests allowing DHS to continue parts of its TPS rollback plan.



Source link

Continue Reading

Politics

Woman who died after riding Universal’s Revenge of the Mummy had ruptured aneurysm

Published

on


Ma de La Luz Mejia Rosas died last month after the 70-year-old suffered a ruptured brain aneurysm on Universal’s Revenge of the Mummy ride, according to a newly released Medical Examiner’s report.

Rosas became unresponsive on Nov. 25 on the indoor roller coaster then passed away two weeks later Dec. 9 at Orlando Regional Medical Center, records showed.

“Mrs. Rosas went to the park to enjoy time with her children and grandchildren, expecting a safe and joyful experience,” lawyer Ben Crump, who is representing her family, said in a statement.

“Instead, her family is now left grieving and searching for answers. They deserve a full understanding of what happened before, during, and after this ride. We intend to thoroughly investigate the circumstances surrounding this tragedy and ensure her family’s voice is heard.”

Crump said he is asking for information about the ride’s operations, safety protocols, maintenance history and data on other incidents.

Universal did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.

Rosas’ death was publicly disclosed on a statewide theme park injury report last week.

Florida’s major theme parks are required to self-disclose all visitors’ injuries on rides if the guests were hospitalized for at least 24 hours. The report is publicly released by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, though it contains limited information on what went wrong and about visitors’ condition.

The theme park injury report showed 16 people had been hurt on Revenge of the Mummy since it opened in 2004. Most recently, a 32-year-old woman felt “neck pain/motion sickness” last year. A 60-year-old woman hadseizure in 2017. Other guests reported chest pain, light headedness, feeling nauseous or passing out.

Crump was previously representing the family of a man with disabilities who died in September after riding a roller coaster at Universal’s Epic Universe theme park.

The family and Universal settled out of court in a confidential settlement.

Millions of people visit Orlando’s theme parks every year, and a handful of tragedies occur.

Earlier this month, a wrongful death lawsuit was filed against The Boathouse restaurant after a man died from choking on a steak at Disney Springs last year.



Source link

Continue Reading

Politics

James Uthmeier endorses Jon Maples for HD 87

Published

on


‘Jon Maples brings real-life experience, strong values and a deep commitment to Florida families.’

Fresh off a commanding Republican Primary win in the Special Election for the empty House District 87 seat, former Lake Clarke Shores Council member Jon Maples has notched an endorsement from Florida’s top cop.

Attorney General James Uthmeier announced on X that he is fully behind Maples, who he said will be “a principled voice in Tallahassee.”

“Jon Maples brings real-life experience, strong values and a deep commitment to Florida families. He understands the challenges facing our state and is ready to lead with common sense,” he said.

“I’m proud to endorse Jon Maples for FL House 87.”

Uthmeier’s endorsement Tuesday adds to others from President Donald Trump, Republican Reps. Anne Gerwig, Griff Griffitts, Jon Snyder and “MAGA” Meg Weinberger, Palm Beach County Commissioner Sara Baxter, Lake Worth Beach Commissioner Mimi May, former Rep. MaryLynn Magar, the Florida House Republican Campaign Committee and business group Associated Industries of Florida.

Maples won last Tuesday’s Primary with 84% of the vote over one opponent. He’s set to face Democrat Emily Gregory, who took 88% of the vote against a single Primary foe.

The winner of the March 24 Special Election will succeed former Republican Rep. Mike Caruso, who vacated the HD 87 seat in August for an appointed post as Palm Beach County Clerk and Comptroller.

HD 87 covers Palm Beach County’s coast from Juno Beach south to Lantana, spanning Palm Beach Gardens, Jupiter, and Hypoluxo along the way.



Source link

Continue Reading

Politics

Stacy Hahn files to challenge GOP incumbent Donna Cameron Cepeda in Hillsborough Commission race

Published

on


Republican Hillsborough County School Board member Stacy Hahn has filed to run for the Hillsborough County Commission, challenging another Republican in a gambit for the countywide District 5 seat.

Hahn, who has served on the Hillsborough County School Board since 2018, announced her candidacy by citing her experience with the School District as evidence of her fiscal responsibility and belief in limited government.

The countywide District 5 seat is currently held by incumbent Republican Commissioner Donna Cameron Cepeda, who won election in 2022 as part of a broader GOP sweep that flipped control of the Hillsborough County Commission

The race is already drawing significant attention, with well-funded Democratic challenger Neil Manimala also vying to claim the seat. Manimala has a significant lead in funds raised, with his campaign already reporting more than $121,000 compared to $6,000 raised by Cepeda, according to Supervisor of Elections records. Hahn has not yet been required to submit a funding report.

Hahn described herself as a conservative who supports limited government and fiscal discipline, arguing that government is most effective when it empowers individuals, families and businesses rather than expanding bureaucracy.

In a statement, Hahn said her time on the School Board gave her a firsthand view of how county-level decisions affect classrooms, neighborhoods and the local economy, touching on issues such as public safety, infrastructure, housing affordability and budgeting.

“As a School Board member, I worked closely with families, educators, and community partners, and I saw firsthand how county decisions impact our classrooms, neighborhoods, and local economy — from public safety and infrastructure to housing affordability and responsible budgeting,” Hahn said.

“Hillsborough County is a unique and beautiful place with tremendous potential. To unlock that potential, we need common-sense leadership at the County Center — leaders who are focused on improving quality of life for every neighborhood, supporting local businesses, and being responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars.”

First elected to the School Board in 2018, Hahn has focused her tenure on financial transparency, literacy initiatives, workforce and career pathways, and early childhood education. She has pointed to her oversight of the School District’s roughly $4.4 billion budget and management of the county’s largest employer as preparation for the demands of county government, saying that experience helped her balance budgets, manage growth and deliver results.

Hahn has also been involved in a range of community and nonprofit efforts, including literacy- and STEM-focused programs, according to her campaign materials. She lives in Tampa with her husband, Jeff, their three children, Ethan, Jackson and Aidan, and their dog Rocky.

Hahn said she is “excited about the work ahead and the opportunity to serve.”



Source link

Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © Miami Select.