On Long Island, Linda Mancuso is living through the difficult loss of her son Michael's caregiver, Jean. Jean, a Haitian national, had been working under temporary protected status (TPS), which expired in July. He was one of 19 Haitian caregivers let go from a nonprofit because their TPS, which allowed them to work legally in the U. S., had run out.
The end of TPS for Haitians has struck a heavy blow to the healthcare sector, which leans heavily on immigrant workers. The Trump administration decided to terminate TPS for Haitians, a move upheld by the Supreme Court. Now, many Haitians face the threat of deportation and are unable to work legally. This has worsened staffing issues in a sector already under pressure.
To Michael, a 23-year-old with developmental disabilities, Jean was much more than just a caregiver. Mancuso describes Jean as indispensable, someone who provided crucial daily care and emotional support to her son. "He's literally a lifeline, " she says. The absence has left Mancuso worried about her son's welfare and the future of other families in similar predicaments.
Haitians make up a significant part of the direct-care workforce in the U. S., says the vice-president of policy and research at the Paraprofessional Healthcare Institute. The industry was already struggling with staffing shortages, and the removal of TPS has only made it worse. "We simply do not have enough people in our domestic market, when you exclude immigrants, to fill those jobs, " Scales explains.
Organizations like AHRC Nassau, where Jean was employed, have felt the impact hard. CEO Stanfort Perry highlights the challenges in recruiting and training new staff, especially when they have to compete with higher-paying sectors like fast food and retail. "It takes us months to recruit one individual to work in this field, " he says.
The effects are nationwide. Jewish Community Services of South Florida lost 18 Haitian TPS holders, forcing remaining staff to work overtime. The loss is especially hard on seniors, many of whom are Holocaust survivors with long-standing relationships with their caregivers. "It's a very intimate relationship, " says Sarah Katzenstein, the organization's director of strategic communications and marketing.
Advocacy groups are pushing for legislative solutions like Senate Bill 4814, which aims to extend TPS for Haitians. But the bill faces opposition in the Senate, stalling progress. Meanwhile, deportations continue, even amid ongoing violence in Haiti. White House czar Tom Homan defended these actions, saying, "The judges made a decision they must go home. And they need to go home... we're just enforcing the law."
Public opinion on the issue is split. A Pew Research survey from June 2025 found that 39% of Americans supported ending TPS, while 59% disapproved. Although support for Trump's immigration policies has dropped by 10% since the start of his second term, it remains relatively strong compared to other issues.
For families like the Mancusos, losing caregivers like Jean is deeply personal. Mancuso is concerned about the impact on her son, who had bonded with Jean. "With Jean, I had not a care in the world, " she says. She hopes for a resolution that will allow Jean and others to continue their work in the U. S.
