Some Haitian-American legislators in Brooklyn have described as “fake news” a video widely circulating on social media purportedly showing Haitian nationals fighting back against attempts by agents from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency in seeking their deportation.
President Donald J. Trump had made deportation of Haitians and other immigrants the centerpiece of his election campaign and has made mass deportation the central issue in his executive orders.
Caribbean Life spoke with several Haitian-American legislators, who said they had seen the video on YouTube and Instagram but could not verify its origin or authenticity.
Some Haitian politicians dismissed the video as “fake news.”
“While we are still verifying the details surrounding the video circulating, one thing is clear: the Haitian-American community is deeply concerned and frustrated by the harmful and unjust policies of ICE under the Trump administration,“ New York City Council Member Mercedes Narcisse, the Haitian-born representative for the 46th Council District in Brooklyn, told Caribbean Life.
“The fear and anxiety that these policies have created are very real, and it is crucial that we acknowledge the emotional and psychological toll they are having on our families,“ she added. “The Haitian-American community has long been a vital part of New York City, and we stand in solidarity with those demanding respect, dignity, and a fair process.
“These policies not only threaten the well-being of our people but also undermine the values that this nation was built on, equality and justice,“ Narcisse continued. “We will continue to advocate for policies that protect immigrant communities, ensure fair treatment, and uphold human rights.
“I encourage all to channel their frustration into productive action, whether through peaceful protest or engaging with elected officials who are committed to making real change,“ she said.
In the interim, Haitian-American Assemblywoman Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn welcomed a federal judge’s ruling in Brooklyn on July 3 in favor of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian immigrants.
Judge Brian M. Cogan of the Federal District Court in Brooklyn, on July 1, blocked Trump from ending TPS for more than 520,000 Haitians who are already in the United States.
Judge Cogan ruled that the president’s attempt to suddenly rescind TPS for Haitians, many of whom have lived in the US for more than a decade, is unlawful.
The judge’s ruling preserves the Biden administration’s extension of TPS for Haitians until at least Feb. 3, 2026.
“I commend the federal court’s decision to block the Trump administration from prematurely and cruelly ending Temporary Protected Status for Haitian nationals,“ Bichotte Hermelyn, the first Haitian-American serving in the New York State Legislature from New York City and chair of the Brooklyn Democratic Party, told Caribbean Life.
“I applaud SEIU 32BJ, which led the lawsuit, and all legal advocates for standing up for justice, including our State Attorney General Letitia James,“ added Bichotte Hermelyn, the daughter of Haitian immigrants, who represents the 42nd Assembly District in Brooklyn.
32BJ of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), the largest property service workers’ local union in the United States, sued the Trump administration, citing Trump’s “illegal efforts to vacate the Biden administration’s designation and expose hundreds of thousands of hard-working people, many of whom have spent decades living and working in the US, to deportation within just two months.“
Bichotte Hermelyn said Judge Cogan’s decision “upholds our constitutional values, recognizing the horrific realities in Haiti, while defending the legal rights of Haitians who built new lives here, and have called the US home for over a decade.
“This pivotal ruling affirms the fundamental legal principle that our government cannot arbitrarily upend the lives of immigrants, who have built their families, careers, and communities in this country under the protection of law,“ she said.
“Haitian TPS recipients have escaped extreme terror and violence, as Haiti continues to grapple with unimaginable instability: rampant gang violence, political collapse, and the displacement of over a million people,“ she added, stating that Haitian immigrants have used the opportunity to live in the US “to indelibly contribute to the fabric of New York City and the entire nation -achieving and serving as an outsized portion of our health care workers, educators, small business owners, and essential frontline workers.“
The assembly member said the US Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) attempt to remove these protections months before their lawful expiration was “not only cruel but also a blatant and targeted violation of TPS designations.“
Therefore, she said Judge Cogan’s ruling is “a vital reprieve from this unconscionable attempt.
“However, this fight is not over,“ Bichotte Hermelyn warned. “We must remain vigilant against Republicans’ ongoing efforts to dismantle humanitarian protections through xenophobic mass deportation.
“New York resolutely stands with our Haitian community, and we will never stop fighting for our right to live free from fear,“ she affirmed.
32BJ SEIU President Manny Pastreich told Caribbean Life that the court victory “shows not only that we can fight back, but we can win.
“We are proud to have represented our Haitian members and the broader Haitian community – and we are grateful to our union brother, Gerald Michaud, and his wife, Nadége, for leading the way,“ he added. “Thanks to today’s victory, at least Haiti’s TPS designation will run through Feb. 3, 2026.
“And while the fight is far from over, this is an important step,“ Pastreich continued. “We will keep fighting to make sure this decision is upheld.
“We will keep fighting for the rights of our members and all immigrants against the Trump administration – in the streets, in the workplace, and in the courts as well,“ he said. “And when we fight, we win.”
With more than 185,000 members across 12 states and Washington, D.C., 32BJ SEIU is the country’s largest property service workers union.
32BJ SEIU said its members hail from 64 countries and speak 28 languages[nk1].
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem announced the termination of TPS, leaving over 500,000 Haitians without work permits and facing deportation.
The temporary parole program for Haitians expires on Aug. 3, 2025, and the termination takes effect on Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2025.
But, in his ruling, Judge Cogan said, “Secretary Noem does not have statutory or inherent authority to partially vacate a country’s TPS designation.“
Therefore, Judge Cogan ruled that Noem’s “partial vacatur must be set aside as unlawful under the (Administrative Procedure Act).”
He said that “plaintiffs’ injuries are actual and imminent,“ stating that “they cannot be remedied by an award of money damages.
“If the partial vacatur remains in effect until the final resolution of this case, plaintiffs will lose their right to live and work in the United States based on what the court has already found was an unlawful action,“ Judge Cogan added.
New York Attorney General Letitia James had joined Bichotte Hermelyn in condemning Trump’s termination of TPS for Haiti amid the French-speaking Caribbean country’s escalating humanitarian catastrophe.
James, considered a national leader in legal action against the TPS revocation, forcefully denounced the sudden termination.
“The federal administration’s decision to end Haitian TPS is wrong and shameful,“ she told Caribbean Life. “This cruel action puts our Haitian neighbors in danger, tears families apart, and damages our economy.
“The Haitian community is a rich source of pride and strength for New York, and I will continue to fight for their rights and well-being, alongside Assembly Member Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn.
“The Department of Homeland Security has stated that conditions in Haiti have improved. But that assertion is dangerously detached from the truth,“ she added. “Haiti remains under a Level 4 ‘Do Not Travel‘ advisory by the US Department of State, citing life-threatening gang violence, kidnappings, and the absence of any reliable government infrastructure.
“If our own federal government deems Haiti unsafe for American citizens to visit, how can we justify deporting vulnerable families to the very same conditions?“ asked James, urging the Trump administration to “promptly reconsider this decision and extend Temporary Protected Status for Haitian nationals.
Additionally, the New York Attorney General urged the US Congress to enact legislation that grants permanent legal status to TPS holders, who have “consistently demonstrated their value.“
