'He was a lifeline' - Families at a loss after Haitian caregivers let go in US

Long Island mother‑of‑two Linda Mancuso has been “praying connected a regular basis” that her disabled son’s Haitian caregiver will be able to return to work. She described the moment Jean, who held a temporary work permit, was laid off at the end of July from his position at a nonprofit that serves individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities as “horrifying.” Her son Michael, a 5‑foot‑10‑inch, nonverbal 23‑year‑old, relies on Jean for showering, sleeping, eating and even tying his shoes. “Showering, sleeping, eating, tying his shoes - Michael can't necktie his shoes - I mean, there's truthful overmuch hands‑on involvement, and Jean did each of that,” Mancuso said. Mancuso recalled agreeing to place Michael in residential care when he was 19, calling it “the hardest happening I've ever had to do.” When she met Jean in the group home, however, she felt a sense of peace. “Certain radical conscionable person it,” she said of Jean. “He's virtually a lifeline.” That lifeline disappeared weeks ago when Michael’s supervisor had to lay Jean off alongside 18 other Haitians after their Temporary Protected Status (TPS) expired. The Trump administration first announced in June 2025 that it would terminate TPS for Haitians, a decision that faced legal challenges reaching the Supreme Court. The Court ruled in favor of the administration, clearing the way for approximately 350,000 Haitians to lose their status at the end of July. The loss of TPS means holders can no longer lawfully work in the United States and face possible deportation. The healthcare sector, which employs a sizable Haitian workforce, has been struck particularly hard, with many employers forced to dismiss TPS holders who provide direct patient care. Trump’s move to end TPS was part of a broader immigration‑restriction agenda that formed a central plank of his victorious 2024 campaign. Immigration ranked among voters’ top concerns, and several Long Island counties gave Trump decisive support. More than a dozen countries have had their TPS ended during Trump’s second term, and Haitians constitute nearly a third of all affected TPS recipients. The direct‑care industry is feeling the repercussions. “Haiti numbers among the top five countries from which immigrants in the direct‑care workforce come,” said Kezia Scales, vice‑president of policy and research at the Paraprofessional Healthcare Institute. She noted that the sector was already understaffed, with lengthy waitlists for services ranging from home health aides to assisted living. “We simply do not have enough people in our domestic market, when you exclude immigrants, to fill those jobs,” Scales told BBC News. National advocacy groups are pressing for policies that would bolster the semi‑permanent workforce, including measures that would create legal pathways for international caregivers. Asked about the impact of the TPS termination, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told the BBC, “Temporary Protected Status is precisely that - temporary.” The spokesperson added, “The assertion that the only way we can support the healthcare industry is by allowing unvetted illegal aliens to stay in the country is grossly mendacious and lazy.”