Maryland faith leaders, civil rights advocates rally for Haitians amid end of TPS
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Faith leaders, civil rights advocates, and members of the Haitian community in Salisbury, Maryland, gathered on Aug. 26 to protest immigration enforcement and call for greater protections of Haitian families following the federal government’s termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti.
Community members marched to the Wicomico County Government Building where organizers said they planned to deliver letters to county officials calling on local leaders to stand with Haitian families and oppose cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.
The U.S. first designated Haiti for TPS following the devastating January 2010 earthquake. The humanitarian program has been extended and re-designated several times as Haiti has faced an onslaught of humanitarian crises, including political instability, natural disasters, and gang violence. Haiti’s TPS designation was officially terminated July 27.
The end of TPS has created significant uncertainty for Haitians who have been living and working lawfully in the U.S. under the program. Nationally, roughly 350,000 Haitians were protected by TPS, according to NAACP.
Salisbury has become one of the most prominent centers of Haitian life on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Recent estimates put the Haitian population at 3,474 in Salisbury, about 10% of its population, and about 4,232 throughout Wicomico County. Haitian immigrants have become connected to the Eastern Shore economy, particularly through poultry processing, agriculture, caregiving, and other essential industries.
At the rally, Haitian pastors described a community increasingly reluctant to leave home because they fear being arrested by immigration officials and deported. Rev. Gabrielle Montilus of First Haitian Pentecostal Christian Church told the crowd that families were keeping children home and that some residents were afraid to seek medical care or attend church.
“We need peace,” Montilus repeatedly told demonstrators.
Rev. Roosevelt Toussaint, pastor of the Word of Life Center, similarly described a dramatic decline in church attendance since TPS ended.
My humanity doesn’t have temporary status.
Bishop William J. Barber II
Bishop William J. Barber II, the national religious and civil rights leader, told the crowd, “My humanity doesn’t have temporary status.”
He argued that constitutional protections and equal treatment should not depend on immigration status. Barber repeatedly urged Black, Haitian, Latino, and white residents to organize together rather than allowing racial and ethnic divisions to weaken their political influence.
“This is a power issue,” he said. “We need to march on the polls right here in Salisbury.”
Rev. Maggie Gillespie of Wicomico Presbyterian Church said Christian teaching requires hospitality toward immigrants. Gillespie described her church’s longstanding relationship with Haitian residents, including English-language programs.
Without the Haitian community, Gillespie said, “our city would be poorer. Our city would be weaker.”
Barber went further, urging churches throughout Salisbury to worship alongside Haitian congregations as a visible demonstration of solidarity.
“Let this not just be a moment, but let it be a movement,” Pastor Chelsea Spyres said during the rally’s closing prayer. “Let it be a movement that strengthens us and leads us on, so that we may actually be your people who show up for our neighbors and say no to injustice.”
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