Less than a month after arguing in court that security conditions in Haiti had improved enough to justify ending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian immigrants, the Trump administration has reissued its highest-level travel warning for the country.
On July 15, U.S. authorities raised the travel advisory level for Haiti and are now formally warning Americans against all travel to the nation.
The U.S. Department of State issued the notice on Monday, July 15, placing Haiti at Level 4 — the highest tier in its travel advisory system.
The move comes as the U.S. government has decided to terminate TPS for hundreds of thousands of Haitian nationals living legally in the United States.
According to the statement released by the State Department, violence in Haiti has reached a critical level, particularly in the capital, Port-au-Prince, where armed gangs are now officially classified as “terrorist organizations.”
“Haiti has been under a State of Emergency since March 2024. Crimes involving firearms are common — including armed robbery, carjackings, sexual assault, and kidnappings for ransom,” reads the advisory, as cited by Black Enterprise.
The document also underscores the high risk of kidnapping, especially for U.S. citizens. Several cases have reportedly involved ransom demands reaching into the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
U.S. authorities further note that Haitian hospitals are operating with severely limited resources, making emergency response difficult or even impossible. The State Department warns that, in the event of a serious incident, consular assistance may be extremely limited.
The advisory also includes land border crossings between Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Washington cautions Americans against attempting to cross the border illegally, warning that violators could face steep fines when leaving Dominican territory.
The decision has sparked strong backlash among Haitian Americans, who see it as inconsistent policy. How, they ask, can the U.S. justify deporting Haitian migrants while deeming the country too dangerous for American citizens?
“They tell us the country is too unstable for Americans to visit, but safe enough for Haitians to be deported there?” said an activist interviewed by Black Enterprise, calling the move deeply incoherent and a blatant double standard.
As security conditions continue to worsen and humanitarian aid mechanisms weaken, many Haitians in the U.S. are left in a state of deep uncertainty.
For them, the possible loss of TPS means a return to a country in open conflict, where neither the government nor public institutions can ensure their safety.
The Level 4 travel alert issued by the United States only reinforces the growing sense that Haiti has been abandoned — left outside the bounds of international protection and governance standards.
