MIAMI — Haitians in South Florida and across the U.S. are bracing for difficult decisions as hundreds of thousands are set to lose Temporary Protected Status on Friday.
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Thamara Labrousse at Sant La Haitian Neighborhood Center in North Miami says many TPS Haitians are facing a tough choice, one even harder for those with children.
“If you are a TPS holder with an American born child, you may have to consider if you are forced to go back to Haiti, not taking your child with you because it’s not safe and a lot of parents are struggling with that,” Labrousse said.
Labrousse says if Haitians are forced to go back, there may not be a place for them to go to.
“We don’t believe that there are enough even basic services in place to be able to accommodate that many people,” she said.
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A young Haitian father living in South Florida told Local 10 News’ Christian De La Rosa his family home in Haiti was destroyed and overtaken by gangs in his neighborhood.
He said he plans to keep cleaning restaurants for work in Miami until he is let go and stressed he’s not going back to Haiti, even if he loses his legal status.
“He would rather hide instead of going to face what possibly can happen to him in Haiti,” said Labrousse.
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