US deports 530 to Haiti in month since TPS ended

Overview:

U.S. authorities deported 39 people to Haiti on Thursday, bringing the total to 529 and setting a new record six flights since Temporary Protected Status (TPS) ended, according to the National Office for Migration (ONM).

CAP-HAÏTIEN — United States immigration authorities deported 39 people to Haiti on Thursday, according to Haiti’s National Office for Migration (ONM), in a record-setting sixth deportation flight since Temporary Protected Status (TPS) ended that brings the total number of deportees to 529 people. 

The Sep. 24 flight from Miami to Cap-Haïtien International Airport comprised 33 men and six women, 23 of whom are former TPS holders and six additional people whose asylum cases remain open, ONM officials said. 

Two people have green card permanent residency applications pending and six had migrated to the U.S. in the Biden-era humanitarian parole program. Only two were taken into custody at a border crossing by Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

“Returning to Haiti should not be synonymous with abandonment,” the ONM said in its statement. 

“The Government remains committed to welcoming its nationals, assisting them upon arrival, and creating the necessary conditions for their reintegration into Haitian society.”

TPS ended in July. Soon after, U.S. authorities told Haiti they planned to operate as many as two flights a week carrying up to 250 people in total. Since Aug. 20, deportation flights have arrived almost weekly.

Groups call for deportations to stop, improved treatment

Haitian and international rights groups continue to denounce the treatment of Haitians during deportation and whether Haiti has enough resources to receive them safely.

In a statement issued on Sept. 10, the Support Group for Returnees and Refugees (GARR) said some deportees had their hands and feet shackled with handcuffs during the 2-hour journey to Cap-Haïtien. The group accused U.S. authorities of worsening the migrants’ situation by acting outside established protection frameworks and disregarding their fundamental rights.

“[GARR] denounces the cruel and completely irresponsible attitude of U.S. authorities, who refuse to treat migrants humanely,” GARR said. 

Human Rights Watch (HRW) also raised broader concerns and called on the U.S. to suspend deportations to Haiti, which is facing severe gang violence.

“The U.S. government should immediately end these deportations,” said Nathalye Cotrino, a senior researcher in the Americas Division at HRW, in a Sept. 21 statement. “The United States is sending people, some of whom have pending asylum claims, back to a country that lacks the capacity to protect them from violence, let alone help them find food and shelter.”

Immediate help but limited long-term support

Since January 2026, the United States has deported 1,397 people, according to Haitian authorities. GARR found that the Dominican Republic had forcibly returned 194,465 people to Haiti through the end of August.

While the country provides deportees with immediate assistance when they arrive, longer-term support remains limited to support their full reintegration into their communities of origin.

ONM says the deportees received a hot meal, food assistance, and a 25,000 Haitian gourdes allowance, about $192 per person. Those travelling to greater distances may also receive hotel accommodation, while others may be referred to public services and available assistance based on their identified needs.