MIAMI — A recent Supreme Court ruling is already being felt in South Florida, leaving thousands of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders in legal limbo.
At the Notre Dame Haiti Catholic Church in Miami Thursday night, parishioners said their thoughts are with family members in Haiti as news of the ruling spread and sparked concern across the community.
Marie Baptist, a Miami resident originally from Haiti, said some of her family members are on TPS status and described growing fear about what comes next.
“Find a way to, I guess, go backward and if you can stay … they cannot stay, they cannot stay. You know what I mean?” she said. “But the thing is like, where are they going to go?”
The ruling has spread quickly through the local community, with some people applying for asylum while others remain in process and uncertain of their status.
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Rev. Reginald Jean-Mary, of Notre Dame Haiti Catholic Church, said many parishioners have come to him, unsure of what to do or what will happen next.
“Well, it was a big shock, a big surprise for us, especially when I woke up this morning and the news came, so I was really heartbroken and very disappointed,” he said.
There are more than 160,000 Haitians living in South Florida, and many are hoping the ruling will not ultimately take effect. One community member said the U.S. is supposed to be a friend of Haiti, adding that if that is true, “who needs enemies.”
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