FOR NOW, NO DANGER FOR HAITIANS IN FLORIDA
The deadline for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) in the United States for Haitians was February 3, 2026, and the more than 350,000 people from Haiti who benefit from TPS, including more than 100,000 in South Florida, were at risk of being deported to their country of origin, which has been ravaged by gang violence. Marlene Bastien, commissioner for Miami-Dade County, told CBS News Miami that Haitians “were scared to death and panicking.” For many of them, returning to Haiti would be “a death sentence.”
But on February 2, a federal judge suspended the end of TPS for Haitians, ruling that the plaintiffs had a strong chance of proving that the Trump administration’s decision was illegal. Judge Ana Reyes’s temporary ruling prevents Kristi Noem, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, from implementing her decision to terminate TPS, which was set to expire on Feb 3rd.
In the U.S. Congress, a petition led by Representative Ayanna Pressley aims to extend TPS for three years. She bases her argument on humanitarian and economic urgency, highlighting the “humanitarian collapse” in Haiti and the fact that Haitians are essential members of the US community, working in the health and senior care sectors.
BAN ON ICE AGENTS WEARING MASKS?
That’s what Florida Democrats and immigrant advocates have called for.
On January 27, during the state legislative session, Florida Democrats and immigrant advocacy groups condemned the immigration enforcement measures taken by Trump and the state’s Republican governor, Ron DeSantis. They proposed largely banning ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) agents from wearing masks while on duty and from entering schools and churches.
According to WLRN, these bills, SB 316 / HB 419, are unlikely to pass. DeSantis and other conservative leaders in Florida have supported the Trump administration’s efforts. The two proposals are also likely to be challenged in court, as states have limited ability to regulate federal immigration activities.
In early January, DeSantis said of the state’s immigration efforts, “No other state has been able to do anything close to what the state of Florida has been able to accomplish.”
DRIVER’S LICENSES: EXAMS IN ENGLISH ONLY
Starting February 6, driver’s license exams in Florida will be conducted in English only for all license categories. Prior to February 6, exams for most non-commercial license categories were still offered in English, Spanish, and Haitian Creole. According to a state release, translation services will no longer be allowed for either written or practical exams.
At the same time, the Florida Senate has begun considering a bill (SB 86) that would require law enforcement to detain truck drivers identified as undocumented immigrants and transfer them to federal immigration authorities. It would also require the impoundment of trucks driven by undocumented immigrants in custody and impose a $50,000 fine on vehicle owners. This bill follows the arrest of a semi-truck driver from India after an accident that killed three people in St. Lucie County.
