Haitian man in South Florida under parole program asked to self-deport despite having TPS
A Haitian man living in South Florida under a temporary parole program said he was told to self-deport, despite being granted Temporary Protected Status (TPS), a directive that has left him fearful, confused and uncertain about his future in the United States.
His story is one of more than half a million migrants who came to the U.S. hoping to find safety and stability, only to be faced with the looming threat of deportation.
CBS News Miami is protecting his identity at his request and referring to him as Paul.
"Every day, that's the current situation"
"Every day, that's the current situation, not only for me — for all the people that came under this program," Paul said.
He arrived in South Florida in 2023 from Delmas, a neighborhood in Port-au-Prince plagued by escalating gang violence. It's the very danger he says forced him to flee.
"We're living now in the country because they say they're gonna send us back home," he said. "And then for me, I don't have any place I have to go back home. All my family actually are here."
Letter revokes status, urges self-deportation
Paul said that on June 13, he received a letter revoking both his parole and work authorization — effectively ending the stability he had worked to build. That same day, he was told to self-deport.
"I put myself on learning online, you know, so we got a lot of stuff to pay and not working is not something, you know, that can help us," he said.
Since arriving, Paul has maintained steady employment, financed a car, and taken online courses to better his future. Though his family helps when they can, he said he's determined to support himself.
A worsening situation in Haiti
The original two-year humanitarian parole program was intended as a temporary measure, under the assumption that conditions in home countries might improve. For Paul, that hope has faded.
"I know that everybody came under this program expected that the country that we were living before [would] change, or we're gonna have some new opportunities… but it's getting worse from day to day," he said.
While Paul has been granted TPS — which should protect him from deportation — the letter he received asking him to self-deport has left him unsure of his rights.
For now, TPS for Haitian nationals is set to expire on August 5. Paul and many others in his position remain in limbo, waiting for clarity, and hoping they won't be forced to return to a place they no longer recognize as home.
