For 32-year-old Gemima Cadet, the decision to leave her home in Lake Worth, Florida, was a desperate response to an increasingly precarious future. Having lived in the United States for more than half her life, Cadet found herself facing the potential loss of her legal status after the second Trump administration announced plans to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians. Officials argued that conditions in the Caribbean nation no longer justified the extension of these protections, with a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson stating that TPS had functioned as a de facto amnesty program rather than the temporary measure Congress intended.
The atmosphere of anxiety is widespread among the Haitian community. Thierry Jean-Baptiste, who coordinates immigration and integration at the Montreal Haitian Community Office, reports receiving frantic calls from individuals across the US. He notes that many are deeply stressed, describing the current climate as a nightmare. While there have been no reports of major immigration raids specifically targeting Haitians, advocates have observed an uptick in arrests, fueling fears of forced removal. This concern was underscored by the recent arrival of a deportation flight in Haiti carrying over 160 passengers, with authorities signaling that more such flights are expected.
Many immigrants, including Cadet, view a return to Haiti as dangerous, citing United Nations reports that violent gangs maintain control over vast portions of the country. Faced with the choice of waiting for potential deportation or seeking a new path, Cadet questioned how much longer she could keep her life on hold. Fedora Mathieu, an immigration and refugee lawyer in Ottawa, explains that many people are willing to take significant risks because they feel they have no other options and cannot safely return to Haiti.
However, the journey north has become increasingly difficult. A revised Safe Third Country Agreement, announced in 2023, requires asylum seekers to file their claims in the first country they enter, effectively barring those who cross illegally between official ports of entry. Jenn McIntyre, clinic coordinator of the Canada-US Border Rights Clinic, warns that the path to Canada is extremely narrow and limited to those who meet specific exceptions, such as having close family members already residing legally in Canada. Attempting to cross without meeting these criteria carries severe risks, as those returned to the US often face detention and the loss of their legal standing.
The process of navigating these regulations is often heartbreaking for families. McIntyre notes that they frequently have to inform families that some members may be eligible for protection while others are not, depending on factors like prior asylum applications or the presence of an anchor relative. For Cadet, the journey was nerve-wracking despite her careful preparation. She traveled to an official port of entry with documentation proving she and her mother had family in Ottawa. While she misses the life she built in Florida, she describes a sense of relief in Canada, noting that she no longer feels she must constantly fight for her basic right to exist.
Data from the Canada Border Services Agency indicates that while Haitians remain the top nationality requesting asylum at ports of entry, overall refugee claims at the border have declined this year. As of August 9, officials had processed nearly 9,000 applications, a figure more than 60% lower than the volume seen during the same period last year. For those who do make it across, the transition remains a difficult departure from the lives they had established in the US, where many, like Cadet, had completed their education and built careers before the political landscape shifted. The report also notes that and books she loved to read, she’d already given away paintings that she’d poured her heart into. The report also notes that there was still one thing left that she loved and wanted to remember: the light, but even in a vacant room with empty hangers dangling in the closet. The report also notes that the way the sun streamed through her window gave her strength on many a difficult day. The report also notes that a road from upstate New York to Montreal became a well-known crossing point, during the first Trump administration. The report also notes that some friends suggested she should wait.