Haitian nationals arrive in Cap-Haitien following end of TPS

MIAMI — About 70 Haitian nationals arrived at Cap-Haïtien International Airport Thursday, the second group to arrive on the island following the termination of Temporary Protected Status for people who were legally allowed to live and work in the United States.

Read more From Coconut Creek to the MLS Cup: The Ian Fray story

Small children were among those who deboarded the plane with adults.

Local 10 News got exclusive video of Haitian nationals landing at the airport.

Last week, a plane carrying 160 people arrived at the same airport. That group included a mixture of TPS holders and others who had previously faced legal troubles in the United States.

Around 7 p.m. Thursday, the Department of Homeland Security posted a video on its social media pages showing a group of Haitian nationals in the rain, shackled as they boarded a plane earlier in the day. A Haitian song played underneath the video.

One of the passengers was a man who made it back to Haiti.

Speaking in Haitian Creole, he said he left Haiti 10 years ago. The Port-au-Prince native said he did not enter the U.S. through the humanitarian parole program created in January 2023.

Asked how it feels to be back in Haiti, he said he hasn’t felt Haiti’s sunlight in a while.

Read more 6 arrested in alleged $5.8 million Miami-Dade HOA fraud scheme, deputies say

He described the moment as both good and bad, saying he had wanted to return to Haiti, but not like this.

He said he would have preferred to arrive with a happy heart, enjoying the country with his friends and family.

Local 10 News reached out to the Department of Homeland Security with several questions about the group that landed. DHS had not responded as of Thursday night.

Read more ICE officer’s release from Texas jail opens a new front in the escalating fight over extradition