Haitian woman in South Florida fears deportation after Trump administration terminates TPS – WSVN 7News | Miami News, Weather, Sports

(WSVN) – With the end of temporary protected status for nearly 350,000 Haitians in the U.S., Haitians in Florida, which has large Haitian communities, have been heavily impacted.

The end of TPS has put many of these residents’ lives on hold, leaving many Haitians in the U.S. without the ability to work and uncertain about what will happen next.

One of these Haitians is Kassou, a young woman who says returning to Haiti is a risk she doesn’t want to take.

“Why me? Why my mother? Why my country? Why my people?” said Kassou.

Kassou said she wanted her story to be heard. She came to the United States in 2018 after she said she was attacked by a gang in Haiti.

“My mom has been attacked in Haiti. She passed away last December and then I was attacked too, and this is the reason why I’m here. She told me to not come back to Haiti,” said Kassou.

In the U.S., Kassou studied nursing and became involved with local Haitian organizations, but when her TPS ended, she lost her work permit and said she could no longer take her nursing exam.

Now, she’s had to rely on friends and the Sant La Neighborhood Haitian Center for support in North Miami.

“They check on me every day, they call me, ‘How are you feeling? How is it going? Stay calm, stay positive, we are with you,’” said Kassou.

Sant La said it’s heard from hundreds of other families who are also seeking help, including legal support.

“We see people coming here, requesting more support, especially legal support, and especially with people with young children who do not know what to do,” said Guibert St. Fort, program coordinator for Sant La Neighborhood Haitian Center.

While Kassou dreads the propsect of being sent back to Haiti, she still has hope she’ll be allowed to remain in the country she’s called home for the past eight years.

The World Food Programme said over half of Haiti’s population is facing acute hunger, as violence and insecurity continues to fuel the ongoing crisis.

Copyright 2026 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.