Photo by Julianna Leopold

DECATUR—Thousands of Haitian residents in Georgia are facing possible removal from the United States after the withdrawal of a special immigration status.  

The humanitarian program known as Temporary Protective Status (TPS) allows people to live, raise a family and work in the country legally, giving an umbrella of protection to roughly 350,000 people.  

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services set late July as the deadline to lift the protected status from people from Haiti and Syria. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled President Trump had the authority to remove the designation after a legal fight.  

With the court decision, Haitians and Syrians who lose TPS and do not qualify for another immigration status face an uncertain future. After more than a decade in the country, they could face deportation proceedings. 

The state has one of the largest Haitian communities in the country. Advocates for immigrants estimate some 7,000 Haitians with TPS live in Georgia. 

At Sts. Peter and Paul Church, Decatur, people are missing from the pews during the Haitian community Mass out of fear of leaving their homes, said worshippers. The community gathers every Sunday for Mass in French and Creole. 

Edmond Fetiere is a 64-year-old transportation inspector. Although a U.S. citizen, he is active in the community and is highly concerned for his fellow Haitians. Fetiere said vulnerable people are at grave risk if they must return to the island because of the instability and violence plaguing the country.  

He pointed out how the U.S. government has told Americans to avoid traveling to Haiti, so he thinks it cruel to force people to return to dangerous situations where they can be victims.  

Maestro Dario Clena, left, conducts the Symphonie de la Foi Haitian choir during the weekly Haitian Community Mass. The choir sings at Mass once a month. Photo by Julianna Leopold

Alberta Therlonge, 48, sings with the choir at Mass, and she’s a special education teacher in Cobb County schools. People protected with TPS accepted it out of fear, not to take advantage of the United States, she said. Haitians work hard to provide for their families and community, she said.   

They are afraid because some of them own homes here and some of them “don’t know what will happen if they do go back to Haiti because of the situation of gangs taking over people’s houses and other properties or businesses,” she said.  

Kevin Borgella, a 33-year-old medical student and first-generation Haitian American, said there is a “palpable sense of urgency” within the community. He said political decisions seem to have specifically targeted Haitians. 

Immigrants who are protected by TPS feel drawn to the freedom America has long offered hardworking immigrants, he said. They are inspired by the foundational values of the country that allowed America to become what it has been for 250 years, he said.  

Dancers from left, Darianna Q. Clena, Wesnie Abbie Volatire and Arshell Palomino, use their gifts to glorify the Lord during the Kyrie, Gloria and Offertory while the choir sings in Haitian Creole at the Haitian community Mass on July 19 at Sts. Peter and Paul in Decatur. Photo by Julianna Leopold

The concerns expressed by the worshippers after a recent Sunday Mass are mirrored by Georgia’s bishops. 

The religious leaders wrote to members of Congress, urging a reprieve for the affected people.  

“So many of these families will imminently be left without any legal status or a way to support themselves, all while returning to their country of origin remains unsafe, impractical and unreasonable because of the ongoing conditions there,” wrote the bishops. 

They urged the passage of Senate Bill 4814 “to offer a measure of stability to our Haitian brothers and sisters in the short-term.” It would prolong TPS status to 2029.  

The letter was signed by Atlanta Archbishop Gregory J. Hartmayer, OFM Conv., Bishop Joel M. Konzen, SM, Bishop John N. Tran, Bishop Bernard E. Shlesinger III and Savannah Bishop Stephen D. Parkes. 

In 2025, 17 countries were covered by TPS designations: Afghanistan, Burma, Cameroon, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Haiti, Honduras, Lebanon, Nepal, Nicaragua, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Ukraine, Venezuela and Yemen.  

As of March 31, 2025, approximately 1.3 million people in the United States from these countries were protected from removal by TPS, according to federal reports.  

Haiti was initially designated for Temporary Protected Status on January 21, 2010, following a major earthquake. The TPS program is a humanitarian initiative that allows people from countries undergoing crisis to remain in the United States and work. The program does not provide a direct pathway to permanent residency or citizenship. 

Authorities have extended the designation multiple times during the 16 years. But in 2025, the Trump administration reported “it is contrary to the national interest of the United States” to continue the program for people from Syria and Haiti. The Supreme Court affirmed the authority of the president to remove the designation.  

The state has one of the largest Haitian communities in the country. The Migration Policy Institute reported 731,000 Haitian immigrants in the United States in 2022, with between 40,000 and 60,000 people of Haitian origin living in Georgia.