S. Fla Haitian Healthcare Workers Losing Jobs Without Protected Status | 1290 WJNO

(Miami, FL) – The revocation of temporary protected status for Haitians in July has led to the closure of two healthcare agencies in South Florida.

The director of Home Care Association of Florida, Denise Bellville, says two agencies catering to the Haitian community in Broward and Miami-Dade closed their doors after losing more than 80-TPS holders, each.

Bellville says, “Many Haitian workers serve as nursing assistants, home health aides, and support staff in hospitals and long-term care facilities.” She warns that the staffing shortages may affect the quality of patient care especially in underserved areas.

“I think about all the individuals they were serving in their homes who will now, perhaps, have to go to a higher level of care, perhaps a nursing home.”

Florida is home to nearly half of the country’s 330,000 Haitian TPS recipients, many of whom live in South Florida.

Due to newly unpermitted employees, Jackson Health reports losing around 50 Haitian TPS workers while Memorial Healthcare lost 27 caregivers.

The U.S. House of Representatives advanced a bill in April that would extend TPS for Haitians through 2029, but the measure has stalled in the Senate.

As a result, many who were employed in service industry positions including healthcare, elder care, hospitality, and food services have lost their jobs.

Haitians received protected status after a devastating earthquake in 2010. There have been multiple extensions granted over the years due to disasters, political instability, and health crises, but the U.S. Supreme Court ruled to end the “temporary” legal protections for approximately 350,000 individuals in June of 2026.