READING — More than 300,000 Haitians nationwide are expected to lose federal immigration protections on Feb. 3 that allow them to work in the U.S. and shield them from deportation.
In Berks County, the loss of Temporary Protected Status for people from Haiti is likely to ripple across the local economy, particularly in health care and other economic sectors, while also deepening fear and uncertainty within a close-knit community that has spent decades putting down roots in the region.
The Department of Homeland Security grants TPS to people whose home countries are unsafe to return to due to ongoing armed conflict, natural disasters, or an epidemic. Haitians were first granted TPS after a catastrophic earthquake struck the country in 2010. After attempts to cancel the program by the first Trump administration, the Biden administration redesignated TPS in 2021, and in 2023, it also updated an existing family reunification program that allowed more Haitians to come to the U.S. on humanitarian parole.
The federal appeals court in California ruled on Wednesday that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem acted illegally by ordering the cancellation of TPS for Venezuelans and Haitians. That ruling will not have an immediate effect, according to Reuters, because of previous U.S. Supreme Court orders that allowed the Trump administration’s mandate to take effect.
Another federal judge in Washington, D.C., is also expected to rule by Feb. 2 on whether DHS provided enough evidence to prove that TPS for Haitians is no longer needed, and that conditions in Haiti have improved enough for citizens to be able to safely return to the country.
Berks County is home to 659 people born in Haiti, according to the 2023 American Community Survey, which is the most recent census data available and might not capture people who arrived after TPS eligibility expanded under the Biden administration. It’s also unclear how many Haitians in the county currently have TPS.
Alex Civil, founder of Bring the Change and an advocate for the local Haitian population, moved to Berks in 2004 and has seen the community grow over time.
“We have a lot of Haitian business owners, whether it's restaurants, catering companies, music,” Civil said. “We have doctors in the community. We have people … who are here and trying to make a change.”
For Kassandra Barthelemy, a nurse practitioner originally from Haiti and founder of Careland Clinic and Careland Home Health, the looming end of TPS has already had consequences.
Patients have left after losing health insurance that helped cover their medical expenses. The uncertainty surrounding TPS has also created staffing challenges for Barthelemy’s clinic. She said she was forced to let go of about 15 caregivers, many of whom were Haitian, after they lost their work permits.
“We can’t find caregivers,” Barthelemy said. “That's a huge impact on the business, and that affects the people at home who need the care.”
Barthelemy started her practice two years ago to make health care more accessible and affordable, particularly for non-English-speaking communities. When she moved to Berks County about seven years ago, she said it took her nearly six months to find a primary care provider.
“I told my patients, it's the care that we are giving that's more important to us, so don't let your financial situation don't let you see a provider,” Barthelemy said. “Our goal is to have a healthy community educated about their health: when to seek a provider, what can they do at home to prevent hospitalizations.”
Careland Clinic offers a variety of primary care services, including chronic disease management, immunizations, treatment for infections and other minor illnesses, and weight-loss programs. The clinic also operates a service that provides in-home personal care for older adults who need help with daily tasks such as cleaning, cooking, and taking medications.
Merline Charles, a Creole-speaking staff attorney at Aldea – The People’s Justice Center who specializes in helping the Haitian community, said her legal team received a lot of calls toward the end of 2025 from people asking about applying for asylum. Many of the clients she works with arrived recently, around 2021 and 2022.
Charles helps clients pursue avenues to stay in the country legally. Some who can document a credible fear of being persecuted if they return to Haiti have applied for asylum.
“Asylum is so difficult to be able to prove, so it's like going out of the rain and jumping into the ocean,” Charles said. “It’s just a very difficult situation for them right now.”
Other clients, who have parents, children, spouses, or siblings who are U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents, can apply for a family-based petition. If approved, these petitions could allow a TPS recipient to apply for a green card.
At monthly legal aid clinics in Reading, Charles hands out informational packets to parents to help them prepare, plan, and designate a caretaker in case they get arrested by immigration authorities.
“People are coming to you, they’re looking for hope, they’re looking for help. I don’t want to be the one to say there’s absolutely no way you’re going to get this,” Charles said.