Months after a deadly earthquake ravished her homeland, Violette, 38, boarded a small boat with eight other people and set off on a three-day journey at sea from Haiti to South Florida and the promise of a secure future. She left behind three children "because I know it's very dangerous to come here."

Seven years later, after a series of low-income jobs and cross-country moves, Violette—who declined to give her last name because she fears being deported—is worried her life in the U.S. is about to come to an end. A special immigration status granted to more than 50,000 Haitians will reportedly be extended by the Trump administration after weeks of protests by Haitian immigrants and advocates, but only for six months, providing little relief to a community whose future has been clouded in uncertainty since the new administration took power.

Violette says she first began worrying about her immigration status when Donald Trump became president. He visited Miami's Little Haiti community, the epicenter of the Haitian community in the U.S., during the 2016 campaign, but a few months later, Violette heard on the radio and through a church announcement that Temporary Protected Status (TPS), the immigration policy that provides humanitarian relief to people from countries experiencing disasters or war, was at risk.

"Even the people with green cards, they're afraid of the Trump administration," says Violette. "The way he talks—in the Haitian community now there's a fear about the whole situation."

The Washington Post reported Monday morning that Trump's administration plans to allow for a six-month extension of the special humanitarian immigration status granted to tens of thousands of Haitians like Violette. Roughly 930,000 Haitians live in the U.S., according to the 2013 American Community Survey, the latest year data were available. More than 50,000 of them have TPS. People from countries such as Somalia, South Sudan and Syria are also eligible for the status.

The deadline for the U.S. government's decision on whether to extend TPS is May 23. According to the Post, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is still finalizing the details of the decision. Immigration advocates hoped the government would extend the status for another 18 months because Haiti, a country still reeling from Hurricane Matthew last year and the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake, which devastated the capital city of Port-au-Prince and killed more than 200,000 people, is not ready to take back tens of thousands of people.

After the six-month extension, the government is expected to review the immigration program later this year, meaning Violette's life in the U.S. would once again be in jeopardy. "My country is not ready to receive us," she says. "Going back to Haiti without money? It would be a disaster."

Before arriving in New York, Violette lived in Orlando, Florida, for three years, working at Disney World as a guest escort. Later, she worked at a laundromat before heading north to Brooklyn. She now is employed as a home health aide and attends the Evangelical Crusade Christian Church in Brooklyn. Dozens of the 900-strong congregation are Haitians on TPS who face deportation under the Trump administration.

The Reverend Philius Nicolas, bishop of Evangelical Crusade, says if TPS is not extended beyond six months, it will affect the entire Haitian community in Flatbush, central Brooklyn, where his church is located. Parents on TPS might face leaving their U.S.-born children behind or bringing them to an unknown life in Haiti. Also, Haitians on TPS are taxpayers and employees, he says, and the U.S. will lose out on their contributions.

Related: How California is resisting Trump's anti-immigration policies

Living with such uncertainty makes it difficult for Haitian immigrants to get settled in the U.S., he says. "If you threaten to cut my life that way, even though you give me a chance for another 18 months, I never know after 18 months what you're going to do," says Nicolas.

Nicolas supported the Republican presidential nominee last year and possesses a small card featuring Trump's signature, a token of thanks for his contribution. But given the recent news, he now suspects Haitians are being targeted.

Nicolas says Haitians in the U.S. plan to organize a march on Washington if their TPS is not extended. "I know President Trump is looking forward to a second term. If this TPS is not granted, he will lose the vote of all the Haitians in the U.S.," he says. "He will lose our vote, he will lose our money, and he will lose our friends."

"It will not only be us who will suffer," adds Nicolas. "He will suffer for his second term."

Earlier this month, Trump sent waves of fear through Haitian communities after the Associated Press reported that his administration was looking into how many Haitians on TPS have been convicted of criminal activity, as well as the number using public assistance. TPS immigrants cannot receive public benefits and undergo extensive criminal background checks before being granted their status.

Such a request for criminal data marks "an unprecedented and really disturbing new development in the [Trump administration's] anti-immigrant agenda," says Meredith Owen, policy advocate at Church World Service, a U.S. refugee-resettlement agency. "Simply requesting criminal data for people based on their country of origin is a waste of resources and has absolutely no basis in laws governing TPS. TPS is put in place because of country conditions as a form of humanitarian relief."

A spokesperson for Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly said in a statement that criminal history and public benefit usage is not being used as criteria for determining if someone should receive TPS. To be eligible, people from affected countries must already be in the U.S. when war breaks out or disaster hits, so people in, say, Syria, cannot apply for protection from their origin country.

"Secretary Kelly hasn't made a decision on TPS for Haiti," the statement reads. "The secretary's decision will be based on a thorough assessment of the conditions in the country; separately, he has asked the staff for detailed information to increase his understanding of how the program operates. The two actions are separate and distinct."

Haitians became eligible for TPS following the 2010 earthquake, which for years fueled food insecurity and cholera across the Caribbean island. Those threats were further exacerbated by Hurricane Matthew, which hit Haiti in October 2016.

Earlier this month, Paul Altidor, the Haitian ambassador to the U.S., met with Kelly to discuss extending TPS for Haitians for another 18 months. Altidor says money sent back to Haiti by those living in the U.S. is a huge supporter of the country's economy. Haitian remittances from the U.S. make up around 25 percent of the country's gross domestic product.

"Thousands of households will no longer have an economic lifeline" if TPS is abandoned, Altidor said in a letter to Kelly. Altidor added in the letter that "Haitians with TPS have been exemplary residents in the United States and pose no security threat."

Immigration advocates like Owen say that under the new administration, agents with Immigration and Customs Enforcement also appear to be targeting Somalis, who are eligible for TPS. Somali immigrants have recently been arrested in Maine and Georgia, while ICE said it has deported 230 people to Somalia since October 1, 2016.

The impending decision could similarly affect many immigrants from El Salvador and Honduras, two countries that also have TPS designation. (El Salvador's TPS expires in March 2018; Honduras in January 2018.) Owen says that many people from those countries fear they could be next.

"We know that given the long-standing conflict in Central America, particularly the Northern Triangle [Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala] and particularly El Salvador, sending people back to that country has basically sent people back to their deaths," she says.

Nicolas believes this to be true. "If they attack the Haitians first, there are others in line," he says. "If they single out the Haitians first, watch out. You'll be there next."</s>Haitians who were given temporary protection from deportation following a 2010 earthquake will be allowed to stay in the U.S. until at least January 2018, affecting about 100 Haitians in San Diego with temporary protected status.

Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly announced Monday that his department will review conditions in Haiti at that time to determine whether to extend the protection again.

Senior department officials recommended that Haitians get their affairs in order so that they’re ready to go back in January if the department doesn’t extend the protection further.

The decision contrasts with former President Barack Obama’s administration, which had extended temporary protected status or TPS for qualifying Haitians every 18 months.

“This six-month extension should allow Haitian TPS recipients living in the United States time to attain travel documents and make other necessary arrangements for their ultimate departure from the United States, and should also provide the Haitian government with the time it needs to prepare for the future repatriation of all current TPS recipients,” Kelly said in a statement. “We plan to continue to work closely with the Haitian government, including assisting the government in proactively providing travel documents for its citizens.”

Local minister and Haitian immigrant Jean Elise Durandisse was disappointed with the shorter extension. He said sending people back to Haiti would be a heartless decision and would hurt both American and Haitian economies.

“Haiti is going to take a long time to get rebuilt,” Durandisse said by telephone. “Haiti right now is not a good place to send people back.”

Some members of his congregation have temporary protected status and are worried about their futures, he said.

Jofiane Valsaint, 37, has spent most of her life since the earthquake in San Diego with her husband and children, she said.

She said worrying about being sent back soon keeps her up at night.

“It would be very sad. I don't know what to say,” Valsaint said. “It's not like we don't like our country, but it's not ready yet for us to go back.”

Her father still lives in Haiti, she said, and when they talk, he tells her about the situation there. She worries about housing, economic opportunities and medical care, she said. Her daughter, who was born in the U.S., has special medial needs that she does not think would be adequately taken care of in Haiti.

The Department of Homeland Security uses temporary protected status to keep people from getting deported to dangerous situations such as a civil war or environmental disaster.

Haitians who were in the U.S. by January 2011 following the earthquake and ensuing cholera outbreak are eligible for protected status, and only those who have had the status are eligible to re-register by July. Nationwide, there are 58,706 Haitians with temporary protected status, according to senior Homeland Security department officials.

San Diego saw a more recent influx of Haitians who left their country in 2010 to work in Brazil following the earthquake. They came through Central America to the U.S. last year looking for work after job opportunities from the World Cup and the Olympics dried up. Those Haitians do not qualify for temporary protected status.

Because of concerns about conditions back in Haiti, especially after Hurricane Matthew struck last October, the Obama administration struggled with how to handle newly arriving Haitians. They were alternately allowed into the U.S. on another temporary program, or they were detained and deported.

Advocates who hoped for an 18-month extension say those conditions should also be considered for Haitians who are eligible for temporary protected status.

Kelly based his decision on several factors, according to a news release, including that there are fewer displaced people living in camps. The Haitian government’s plans to rebuild the National Palace in Port-au-Prince also contributed to his decision.

“TPS as enacted in law is inherently temporary in nature, and beneficiaries should plan accordingly,” Kelly said in the release.

As the department worked to reach a decision by Tuesday’s deadline, 60 days before the status was set to expire, a couple of leaked emails caused concern among advocacy groups that the status would not be extended at all.

One email contained instructions for department staff to research crimes committed by Haitians with temporary protected status. Senior department officials on a call Monday with reporters said such statistics did not factor into Kelly’s decision nor were they able to provide any such data.

In a memo, the acting director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services recommended that Kelly let the status expire but give those affected until January to leave the U.S.

Those who pushed for an extension received Kelly’s announcement with mixed emotions. Some, like Rep. Frederica Wilson, D-Miami, whose district includes many Haitians and Haitian-Americans, vowed to use the six months to lobby for a longer reprieve for those affected. She invited Kelly to take a trip with her to Haiti as the U.S. does not currently have an ambassador there.

The San Diego Immigrant Rights Consortium issued a statement calling the decision cruel and inhumane.

Laura Moreno, chairwoman of the consortium, called out President Donald Trump for a speech he gave in Miami’s Little Haiti during his campaign where he promised to be Haitians’ greatest champion.

“This is an opportunity for President Trump to fulfill his campaign promise by extending a program that has given earthquake survivors the dignity of work and safety while conditions in their country improve,” Moreno said in an emailed statement. “Haiti is still in no condition to receive an estimated 58,000 people."

There are currently temporary protected status programs for people from 10 countries: El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. Programs for natives of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone recently expired following resolution to the Ebola outbreak there.

The designations for Sudan and South Sudan are set to expire next. Kelly will have to decide by September whether to extend temporary status for Sudanese.

Follow me on Facebook for live updates about immigration news</s>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Homeland Security will allow more than 50,000 victims of Haiti's 2010 earthquake to remain in the United States with work authorizations until January 2018, department officials told reporters on Monday.

The Obama administration first granted protections to Haitians who arrived in the United States within a year of the devastating earthquake and the group's status has since been extended.

Three DHS officials, who agreed to speak to reporters only on the condition of anonymity, said Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly has assessed the situation in Haiti and believes conditions there are improving but still necessitate protected status for Haitians living in the United States.

The officials said, however, that Haitians in the United States under what is known as temporary protected status should begin acquiring travel documents to return to Haiti, noting that DHS has not committed to extending protections past January.

U.S. law allows DHS to grant temporary protected status to citizens of countries ravaged by violence, disease and natural disasters.

Other countries designated for temporary protected status include Sudan, Somalia, Syria, El Salvador, Nepal and Yemen.

The Department of Homeland Security will issue a notice to the Federal Register to extend temporary protected status within the coming days. After a 60-day period, Haitians under the status will be given new work authorizations valid until January.</s>US extends Haitians’ Temporary Protected Status for another 6 months

Washington, May 22 (EFE).- The US government announced Monday a six-month extension of the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for more than 58,000 Haitians who fled their country following the devastating earthquake of 2010.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) had until this Tuesday to announce the extension, which means that Haitians now accepted for the program will have 60 days to present the required documents to avoid having to leave the country next July 23, when the new interim protection expires.

Immigrant defenders have pressured Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly to extend the Temporary Protected Status on grounds that Haiti suffers a food shortage, unemployment and widespread poverty, and is incapable of repatriating thousands of its citizens.

Secretary Kelly said that “after careful review of the current conditions in Haiti and conversations with the Haitian government, I have decided to extend the designation of Haiti for Temporary Protected Status for a limited period of six-months.”

DHS officials said Kelly had obtained the commitment of Haitian authorities that, when conditions permit, Haitian citizens who now enjoy that protection will be accepted back to their country in order to help with its reconstruction.

“We plan to continue to work closely with the Haitian government, including assisting the government in proactively providing travel documents for its citizens,” Kelly said.

“I believe there are indications that Haiti – if its recovery from the 2010 earthquake continues at pace – may not warrant further TPS extension past January 2018,” he said

Though this is an extension of just six months instead of the usual 18, the decision shows a softer touch than the hard-fisted immigration policy of US President Donald Trump, as expressed in his electoral campaign rhetoric.

The US government offered TPS for Haitians after the powerful quake on Jan. 12, 2010, which left thousands dead.

The unfortunate Caribbean nation also suffered a cholera epidemic that spread to almost 800,000 citizens and left 9,000 dead.</s>WASHINGTON (CNS) — Tens of thousands of Haitians enrolled under the Temporary Protected Status program can stay in the United States until at least January.

Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly renewed the designation May 22. The decision affects more than 58,000 Haitians in the U.S.

The designation, also known as TPS, was implemented by the U.S. government for Haiti days after a powerful earthquake in January 2010 leveled much of the country surrounding the capital of Port-au-Prince. It allowed Haitian nationals to stay in the U.S. because of adverse conditions in their homeland.

Kelly’s order extends Temporary Protected Status until Jan. 22, 2018, six months beyond the original expiration date of July 22. Previous extensions had been granted for 18 months.

Kelly did not adopt the recommendation of the acting director of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services that called for ending the designation for Haitians altogether in July. In an April 10 memo to Kelly, James W. McCament said “conditions in Haiti no longer support its designation for TPS,” but suggested delaying the effective date of the termination for six months to allow “for a period of orderly transition” for Haitian nationals.

The homeland security secretary stopped short of saying the designation automatically would be renewed again in January. In a statement Kelly urged that Haitian nationals begin to assemble travel documents and “make other necessary arrangements for their future departure” from the U.S.

“Haiti has made progress across several fronts since the devastating earthquake in 2010, and I’m proud of the role the United States has played during this time in helping our Haitian friends,” Kelly said.

Bishop Joe S. Vasquez of Austin, Texas, chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Migration, said he was grateful Kelly and the Trump administration gave the six-month extension, but added, “It still leaves many Haitian families in the United States in an insecure and vulnerable position, particularly with respect to ensuring legal work authorization (during that extended period).”

“Extending TPS serves an important humanitarian role by providing for the safety, well-being, and stability of Haitians living in the United States,” he said in a statement. “We encourage our government to work proactively with the Haitian government to provide life-saving aid and recovery assistance. Haiti will continue to struggle to receive back those who are temporarily protected, even those who may be returned in the near future.”

He said the Catholic Church through its various service networks “will continue to assist Haitian families in the U.S., aid the rebuilding process in Haiti and look for opportunities to collaborate with the church in Haiti and the Haitian and U.S. governments.”

Kelly’s statement said the “Haitian economy continues to recover and grow, and 96 percent of people displaced by the earthquake and living in internally displaced person camps have left those camps.” He also cited Haitian government plans to rebuild the presidential residence on the grounds of the National Palace destroyed in the earthquake and the withdrawal of the United Nations stabilization forces as signs of progress.

In addition, Kelly said he had heard from the Haitian government regarding its desire to welcome Haitian TPS recipients.

Advocates have disagreed with McCament’s assessment and have said Haiti is experiencing the same dire social challenges and deep poverty that existed when the TPS designation first was made. Haiti’s recovery, advocates also argued, suffered a setback when Hurricane Matthew inundated farms and communities in the country’s southwest peninsula in October.

One of organizations advocating for Haitians, the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, said in a statement that the extension concerns those with Temporary Protected Status because they will be required to return to their still unstable homeland.

“The extension of TPS for another six months is nothing more than a brief respite,” Jeanne Atkinson, CLINIC executive director, said in a statement.

“Kelly’s statement making this announcement suggests he doesn’t truly understand the purpose of TPS and its basis in what the conditions are in an affected country,” Atkinson said. “His remarks ignore that it would be inhumane to precipitously force tens of thousands of people back to a country that still suffers from dramatic levels of homelessness, an ongoing cholera epidemic and other systemic deficits, such as a lack of clean water. An adequate national recovery to support their return is far more than six months down the road.”

The designation of Temporary Protected Status can be made for any country because of a natural disaster, continuing armed conflict or other extraordinary conditions under the Immigration Act of 1990.

Copyright © 2017 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. www.catholicnews.com. All rights reserved. Republishing or redistributing of CNS content, including by framing or similar means without prior permission, is prohibited. You may link to stories on our public site. This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. To request permission for republishing or redistributing of CNS content, please contact permissions at cns@catholicnews.com.</s>The Trump administration is granting 50,000 Haitian nationals who arrived in the U.S. after a devastating 2010 earthquake another six months in the country without fear of deportation.

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials announced the extension of so-called temporary protected status (TPS) on Monday. The agency had faced a Tuesday deadline to reveal their plans.

DHS Secretary John Kelly said the extension will give the Haitians more time to prepare to eventually return to their country.

“This six-month extension should allow Haitian TPS recipients living in the United States time to attain travel documents and make other necessary arrangements for their ultimate departure from the United States," Kelly said in a statement.

He added that the delay "should also provide the Haitian government with the time it needs to prepare for the future repatriation of all current TPS recipients."

TPS status is intended to temporarily protect citizens of foreign countries from returning to dangerous areas hit by civil war, natural disasters or "other extraordinary and temporary conditions."

The Haitian nationals have been under TPS since 2010, when a powerful earthquake rocked the island nation. TPS for Haitians was last extended on Jan. 23, 2016, for 18 months and was due to expire on June 22.

In April, James McCament, acting director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, wrote a memo claiming conditions in Haiti were such that the 50,000 Haitians under TPS could safely return to their country.

In the leaked memo, McCament recommended extending the program for six months, out of a possible 18.

But South Florida lawmakers from both sides of the aisle wrote to Kelly in March, saying Hurricane Matthew, which hit in October, has slowed recovery on Haiti and urging him to grant an extension.

““Last week, I asked the White House to extend the TPS deadline for Haitians until at least January 18, and I’m glad to see that the administration agreed. I look forward to continuing to work closely with the White House and DHS on this issue,” said Sen. Marco Rubio Marco RubioDHS extends protected status for Haitians for six months Congress should let local communities set their own PACE Rubio: ‘People got what they voted for’ MORE (R-Fla.) in a statement Monday.

Florida, New York and Massachusetts have large Haitian populations.

Officials said Kelly decided to extend TPS based on current conditions on the ground. But they believe that improving conditions merited only a six-month extension.

They cited the end of a United Nations peacekeeping mission, scheduled to conclude in October, and reconstruction of the presidential palace, knocked down by the 2010 earthquake, as signs of a better situation on the ground.

Supporters of an extension were also concerned that a mass influx of people to Haiti could spark social unrest, amid the UN withdrawal and a government that's still in its early stages. President Jovenel Moise was sworn in in February.

Advocacy groups also jumped on the issue after The Associated Press earlier this month published leaked emails from a DHS staffer asking for numbers on crime rates involving Haitian nationals in the U.S., as well as how many Haitians sought government assistance.

Black Lives Matter co-founder Opal Tometi penned an op-ed in Time magazine last week accusing the administration of basing its TPS considerations on a "ubiquitous, racist stereotype of Black migrants."

DHS officials vehemently denied the allegations, saying decisions about TPS were based solely on conditions on the ground in Haiti as set forth by statute. They said reports on crime rates and use of social services by specific groups were separate from decisions on TPS.

TPS status does not lead toward permanent residency but does allow beneficiaries to work while in the U.S.

Individuals are allowed to apply for other visas or residency permits. DHS officials stressed that once protective status lapses, Haitian nationals without other legal status will be subject to deportation.

Haitian TPS beneficiaries will be required to re-register to be allowed to seek employment. If approved, their employment authorization will be extended until Jan. 22, 2018.

Only Haitians currently protected by TPS will be covered by the extension; DHS will not consider new applicants.

After the 2010 earthquake, which killed over 200,000 people, a cholera epidemic in Haiti killed nearly 10,000 more.</s>WPCNR IMMIGRANT INTELLIGENCER. From the 32BJ SERVICE EMPLOYEES INTERNATIONAL UNION. MAY 22, 2017



The following statement on Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians living in the U.S. can be attributed to Hector Figueroa President of 32BJ SEIU:

Granting TPS extension to the 50,000 hardworking, law-abiding Haitian already living peaceful and productive lives among us is the right thing to do for humanitarian and national security reasons.

There’s strong bipartisan and community support to extend TPS beyond the limited 6 month period announced today to avoid destabilizing the families and communities built by Haitian men and women across the United States — families and communities that contribute not only to the U.S. economy but to the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.

Haiti is still struggling to recover from the devastation caused by Hurricane Mathew and will need more time to recover. The U.N. estimates at least 1.4 million Haitians are now in need of urgent assistance as clean water, food, and medicine are in short supply, and a cholera outbreak, described as the worst epidemic of cholera in recent history, is still ongoing.

Haitian TPS holders contribute $280 million to the U.S. GDP and $42 million to Social Security and to Medicare each year. More than 1 in 5 Haitian TPS holders are parents of US-born American children.

They are hardworking people making substantial contributions to our country and keeping Haiti as stable as possible as the country rebuilds. According to a February 2016 report, remittances to Haiti exceeded $2 billion –22.7 percent of Haiti’s GDP.

Extending TPS for Haitian and Central Americans—who will also see their temporary status expire in January—is not only a response to our commitment to our traditions and values as a welcoming country, it’s in our national interest.</s>The Trump administration said Monday it will extend until January a humanitarian program that has allowed roughly 58,000 Haitians to live in the United States, but it is hinting that further extensions are unlikely. Temporary Protected Status was given to Haitians living in the United States after a 2010 earthquake devastated parts of that country.

Start the conversation, or Read more at WDUN-AM Gainesville.</s>Protesters gathered outside US Citizenship and Immigration Services in Little Haiti May 21 to call for extended temporary protection service (AFP Photo/JOE RAEDLE)

Washington (AFP) - More than 58,000 Haitians who stayed in the United States with a special protected status since a catastrophic 2010 earthquake will be allowed to stay another six months, the Department of Homeland Security said Monday.

The Haitians were facing orders to return home from July 23 if the department did not renew their so-called Temporary Protected Status, granted after a magnitude 7 earthquake destroyed much of the capital Port-au-Prince on January 12, 2010.

Activists had been hoping for a longer extension -- as much as 18 months -- and warned that six months is not long enough for destitute Haiti to prepare for an influx of more than 50,000 people.

The quake killed tens of thousands and displaced more than one million people. Since then the country has struggled against hurricane disasters, political turmoil and a sweeping cholera epidemic to rebuild and shore up its economy.

Having TPS allowed the Haitians to remain in the United States past the expiration of their visas and work legally.

DHS officials said there are around 58,700 Haitians living in the US under temporary protected status.

Many do not have up-to-date Haitian travel documents, which has posed a problem to ending their status.

Before the extension expires in January, Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly will decide whether to grant another one or terminate it, his department said in a statement.

"I believe there are indications that Haiti –- if its recovery from the 2010 earthquake continues at pace -- may not warrant further TPS extension past January 2018," Kelly said in the statement.

"TPS as enacted in law is inherently temporary in nature, and beneficiaries should plan accordingly that this status may finally end after the extension announced today."

Haitian Women of Miami, an advocacy group, said it was disappointed that the extension was only six months rather than 18.

"As we have stated numerous times, Haiti is in no position to safely absorb an additional 50,000 persons, nor to make up for the remittances that would be curtailed," it said in a statement.

"Haitian immigrants will continue to live in fear and will be further pushed in the shadows," it added.

As part of a general crackdown on illegal immigration, the government has been deporting Haitians who do not have temporary protected status, raising protests from pro-immigrant groups.</s>WASHINGTON (AP) – The Trump administration is extending humanitarian protections for Haitian immigrants living in the United States until at least January.

The Temporary Protected Status for 50,000 Haitians was set to expire in July. A U.S. government official says the Trump administration has agreed to extend it by at least six months.

The status protects the Haitians from deportation. It was implemented after a 2010 earthquake devastated parts of Haiti.

The official was briefed on the decision but not authorized to publicly disclose details in advance of an announcement.

Haitian-Americans, lawmakers and the Haitian government have urged the Trump administration to leave the protections in place. They say the country is still not ready to take back immigrants who have been living abroad.
The temporary protected status of Haitians living in the United States is extended for six months.