President Trump's efforts to terminate legal protections for Haitians in the U.S. could impact hundreds of people in Maine, according to immigrant rights groups.
The move, currently on pause following a federal court ruling, would terminate a program called Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian immigrants fleeing instability and violence.
Sue Roche, executive director of the Portland-based Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project, said the Administration's assertion that it's safe to return to Haiti conflicts with the State Department's own assessment of the country.
"Haiti is at the highest level of do not travel, experiencing extreme violence, rampant kidnappings, [it has] one of the highest rates of food insecurity in the world," Roche said. "It's clearly not a safe place for people to be removed to."
Roche said there are at least 200 Haitian TPS holders in Maine.
"They are contributing to the communities. They're working here. They have families," Roche said. "We have there is a significant public interest in continuing to allow them to remain here."
Under Biden-era rules, more than 500,000 Haitians qualified for TPS, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
