The Open Hand of Kindness Gives Way to the Clenched Fist of Hatred
In January 2010 in response to a devastating earthquake that struck Haiti, the Obama administration granted Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to Haitian nationals who were physically present and continuously residing in the United States as of January 12, 2010. The designation provided lawful protection from deportation and employment authorization due to the catastrophic disruption of living conditions in Haiti and allowed roughly 330,000 individuals to live and work legally in the U.S.
The hand of kindness remained open as the TPS designation stayed in effect through the Obama presidency, Trump’s first term and Biden’s term.
However, on July 27, 2026, The Trump administration clenched its fist and terminated the TPS protection for 350,000 Haitians residing in the U.S. that had allowed them to live and work in our country. They have lost their work permits and now face imminent risk of arrest and deportation to their home country. DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin made clear the administration’s intent – “These Haitians can either self -deport or we will arrest you and send you back. It’s that simple.”
The question before us as United Methodists is why now is the clenched fist raised against these Haitians? Are we witnessing an action that is consistent with the words of Christ in Matthew 22:39 “the second most important commandment is to love your neighbor as you love yourself.”
Was the TPS protection terminated because living conditions in Haiti have gotten so much better? NO! Not according to the U.S. Department of State who warned “Do not travel to Haiti for any reason given the risk due to crime, terrorism, kidnapping, unrest, and limited health care.” Living in Haiti right now is a severe daily struggle for survival, defined by widespread armed gang control in the capital, a crippled healthcare system, and an unprecedented humanitarian crisis affecting millions with acute hunger and displacement.
Was the TPS protection terminated because Haitians in the U.S. are the “worst of the worst” criminals? NO! Legal Haitian immigrants (that includes those living under TPS) have an incarceration rate about 81 percent below US-born Americans.
Was the TPS protection terminated because Haitians living in the US are lazy? NO! 72% of Haitian Temporary Protected Status (TPS) beneficiaries participate in the civilian labor force or hold active employment. This rate is higher than the labor force participation rate of U.S.-born Americans (62%). Of particular note, roughly one-third of Haitian Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders work in medical and caregiving
fields, serving as a critical backbone for hospitals, nursing homes, and home health agencies.
So why now was TPS protection terminated? Given “NO” to the common rationales offered to justify the termination of Haitian TPS, and considering ICE’s operational racial profiling, the Department of State’s stated racial preference for white South Africans as the ideal demographic for gaining refugee status in the U.S, it leaves little doubt in the minds of the GDD Church & Society Committee that the termination of TPS for 350,000 Haitians had a lot to do with the color of their skin.
We call on all United Methodists to follow Christ’s words and raise your voice against racism wherever it is encountered.
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Greater Detroit District
Church & Society Committee.