Catholic Bishops Urge Trump To Pause Deportations Of Haitians Amid Surge In Violence

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has formally asked President Donald Trump to temporarily halt deportations of Haitian nationals who recently lost Temporary Protected Status (TPS), citing a severe deterioration of safety and rule of law in Haiti.

The appeal followed reports that at least 47 people were killed and dozens more abducted in Port-au-Prince on Aug. 23, an episode the bishops say highlights the country’s rapidly worsening security situation.

In a Sept. 8 letter, Rev. Paul Coakley, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, acknowledged the U.S. government’s authority to regulate immigration and enforce federal law. He also emphasized that Haiti’s political and security problems "long precede" the current administration and are "complex and multifaceted."

"With so many lives being extinguished virtually with impunity," Coakley wrote, urging the president to "avoid further endangering innocent human life by ceasing the deportation of large numbers of people to Haiti at this time, particularly while there is not an adequate system in place to provide for their safe and orderly reception and reintegration."

The bishops’ plea comes after a June Supreme Court decision that upheld the administration’s termination of TPS for nearly 400,000 Haitians lawfully residing in the United States. TPS is an immigration designation that allows nationals of certain countries affected by war, natural disaster, or other extraordinary conditions to remain and work in the U.S. temporarily.

Advocates and families say the end of TPS has led to immediate and painful consequences: many former beneficiaries have lost work authorizations, faced disruption or loss of school enrollment, and some have been placed into removal proceedings or fitted with ankle monitors while awaiting potential deportation.

One widely reported case involves 20-year-old Ohio college freshman Pierre Damas Bel, who was fitted with an ankle monitor. According to his family, he later died by suicide after being bullied and living in intense fear about being forced to return to Haiti.

The bishops urged a compassionate response that balances immigration enforcement with humanitarian concerns, arguing that mass returns to Haiti while the country lacks adequate reception and reintegration infrastructure would likely put lives at risk.

Context: The request does not seek long-term immigration policy changes but calls for a temporary pause on removals to allow time for a reassessment of conditions in Haiti and for steps to ensure safe, orderly returns if deportations resume.