The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has declared the end of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian nationals, effective February 3, 2026. Secretary Kristi Noem stated that Haiti no longer meets the statutory requirements for TPS, following a review by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and consultations with other U.S. government agencies. The DHS indicated that allowing Haitian nationals to remain in the United States is inconsistent with U.S. national interests.

This decision affects more than half a million Haitians who may now face repatriation to a country experiencing significant turmoil, characterized by widespread gang violence that controls major access routes to the capital, Port-au-Prince. According to the United Nations, approximately 2.7 million people reside in gang-dominated neighborhoods, with over 1.4 million internally displaced due to the ongoing crisis.

DHS has advised current TPS beneficiaries from Haiti to prepare for departure unless they have another lawful basis to remain in the U.S. Attorney Ira Kurzban, part of a legal team challenging the administration's decision, criticized the rationale for ending TPS as misleading, attributing Haiti's political and economic instability in part to U.S. foreign policy. He described the reasons for terminating TPS as frivolous and indicative of systemic biases against Haitian and Black refugees.

In a separate public health policy change, the U.S. State Department has issued a directive prohibiting its employees and grantees from using government funds to commemorate World AIDS Day, which has been recognized since 1988 as a day to honor those lost to HIV/AIDS and raise awareness about the epidemic. This directive is part of a broader policy to avoid messaging on commemorative days. While employees and grantees can highlight their work in combating infectious diseases, they are advised against promoting World AIDS Day through public communication channels.

Tommy Pigott, a spokesperson for the State Department, stated that the Trump administration is modernizing its approach to addressing infectious diseases, asserting that an awareness day does not constitute a strategy. Instead, the focus is on direct collaboration with foreign governments to enhance their responsibilities in managing health crises.