Haitian migration into US becomes major political issue as election looms

The influx of Haitian migrants into the U.S. has become a major political issue in recent months, as both former President Trump and Sen. J.D. Vance repeated claims about the impact they are having on towns like Springfield, Ohio. 

It has become a political issue in part due to the Biden administration’s parole processes for four nationalities -- Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela. Under that program, migrants can arrive in the United States and be given a two-year parole term, along with temporary work permits.

Some of those are eligible for protection from deportation by the redesignation of Haiti for Temporary Protected Status by the Biden administration this summer. 

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The Biden administration announced on Friday that it will not be extending those parole periods for any of the four nationalities, meaning they will have to apply for a different immigration status or leave the country.

Why has it become an election issue?

The impact that the influx of migrants has had on some towns in the U.S. has become a 2024 election issue after it was put into the spotlight by former President Trump. Most notably, Trump repeated claims that migrants have been eating cats and dogs in Springfield Ohio, which officials have denied. 

"In Springfield, they're eating the dogs, the people that came in, they're eating the cats," Trump said. "They're eating the pets of the people that live there. And this is what's happening in our country, and it's a shame."

But others have pointed to the impact it has had on social services.

Vance recently said that he does not consider those who come through via the parole programs to be legal immigrants as he sees the programs as illegal. Here is what to know about Haitian migration into the U.S.

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This image shows former President Trump and Haitian migrants coming across the southern border. (Photo by PAUL RATJE/AFP via Getty Images and (Christina House / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images))

How many Haitian immigrants are in the U.S.?

There are approximately 1,152,604 Haitian immigrants residing in the US according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2023 American Community Survey (ACS).

That is up from nearly 731,000 Haitian immigrants in 2022.

Where are they living?

Florida has the largest Haitian population in the U.S., at about 511,621 individuals, while New York's population is a distant 2nd with 196,698 individuals. Massachusetts has 72,677 and New Jersey has 69,069.

The top four counties for Haitian immigrants were Broward, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach counties in Florida, and Kings County in New York. Together, these counties accounted for 41 percent of Haitian immigrants in the United States.

Meanwhile, in Springfield, officials estimate that between 12,000 and 20,000 Haitians live in the city.

More broadly on the CHNV program, during an eight-month period from January through August 2023, roughly 200,000 migrants flew into the U.S. via the program from all four nationalities. Of those, 80% of them, (161,562) arrived in the state of Florida in four cities: Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Orlando and Tampa Bay, according to DHS data obtained via a subpoena by the House Homeland Security Committee and provided to Fox News.

What has the Biden administration done?

The Biden administration expanded the CHNV program to include Haitians in January 2023 and since then, 214,000 Haitians have entered the U.S. under the program. Recipients are given a two-year parole and a work permit if they have a sponsor and pass certain background checks.

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However, the administration announced this month that it will not be extending those paroles beyond that period, meaning Haitians and others protected under the program will have to find another immigration status or potentially leave the country.

The Biden administration, however, has also redesignated and extended Temporary Protected Status (TPS), which protects designated migrant groups from deportation and allows work permits, until February 2026. 

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To be eligible, Haitians must have been in the U.S. as of June 3. DHS predicts that it will allow an estimated 309,000 additional nationals to file for TPS, on top of those already protected.

TPS grants protection to nationals in countries found to be unsafe for them to be returned and is based on three grounds: armed ongoing conflict, environmental disasters or "extraordinary and temporary conditions." 

"Several regions in Haiti continue to face violence or insecurity, and many have limited access to safety, health care, food, and water. Haiti is particularly prone to flooding and mudslides, and often experiences significant damage due to storms, flooding, and earthquakes. These overlapping humanitarian challenges have resulted in ongoing urgent humanitarian needs," DHS said in a release.

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It has led to concerns from conservatives that the revoking of parole status will not lead to significant numbers of Haitians leaving the U.S. after their status expires.