The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has declared that Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian nationals will end on 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 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 face repatriation to a country currently experiencing significant instability, characterized by rampant gang violence that controls major access routes to the capital, Port-au-Prince. The United Nations reports that approximately 2.7 million people live 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. He attributed Haiti's political and economic instability in part to U.S. foreign policy, describing the reasons for terminating TPS as frivolous and indicative of systemic biases against Haitian and Black refugees.

In a separate development, the U.S. State Department has altered its approach to commemorating World AIDS Day, which has been recognized since 1988. A directive issued in 2023 instructs employees and grantees not to use government funds to commemorate this day. This directive is part of a broader policy to avoid messaging on commemorative days, including World AIDS Day. While employees are permitted to 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 administration is modernizing its approach to addressing infectious diseases, asserting that an awareness day does not constitute a strategy. The focus is now on direct collaboration with foreign governments to enhance their responsibilities in managing health crises.