'He was a lifeline' — US families struggle after Haitian caregivers lose work permits
The Trump administration's termination of Temporary Protected Status for Haitians has cost thousands of care workers their jobs across the US, leaving families who depend on them scrambling. Care industry groups warn the move deepens an already severe workforce shortage.
On Long Island, mother Linda Mancuso says her 23-year-old nonverbal son Michael, who has developmental disabilities, lost his longtime caregiver Jean at the end of July. Jean, from Haiti, worked at a nonprofit supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities but was laid off along with 18 other Haitian colleagues after his temporary work permit expired.
That permit was tied to Temporary Protected Status (TPS), which allows nationals of unsafe countries to legally live and work in the US. The Trump administration announced in June 2025 it would end TPS for Haitians, and after a legal fight that reached the Supreme Court, the justices sided with the administration. The ruling stripped status from roughly 350,000 Haitians at the end of July, making them ineligible to work and vulnerable to deportation.
The healthcare sector, which relies heavily on Haitian workers, has been hit hard. Kezia Scales of the Paraprofessional Healthcare Institute notes Haiti is among the top five source countries for direct-care workers in the US, and the domestic labour market alone cannot fill these roles.
At AHRC Nassau, where Jean worked, the organisation let go of 19 Haitian staff this year and 22 last year. CEO Stanfort Perry says training a new worker takes months, and his nonprofit cannot match wages offered by fast-food chains or retailers. Jewish Community Services of South Florida faces a similar strain, with remaining aides working overtime after losing 18 Haitian TPS holders — some of whom had cared for elderly clients, including Holocaust survivors, for years.
A Senate bill that would extend TPS for Haitians, matching an already-passed bipartisan House measure, remains stalled amid Republican opposition. Hundreds of Haitians have already been deported since the Supreme Court ruling despite ongoing gang violence in Haiti. Polling shows overall support for Trump's immigration policy has dipped, though public opinion on deportations remains split.
