WASHINGTON: The Biden administration will expand deportation relief and work permits to an estimated 309,000 Haitians in the country already, the US Department of Homeland Security said on Friday.

The administration will expand access to the Temporary Protected Status program to Haitians through February 2026 due to violence and security issues in Haiti that limit access to safety, healthcare, food and water, the department said.

About 264,000 Haitians in the US were already covered by the programme, according to the US government. US President Joe Biden, a Democrat seeking another term in Nov. 5 elections, has walked a political tightrope when it comes to immigration, trying to step up security at the US-Mexico border while also taking a more humane approach to immigrants in the US illegally.

In a presidential debate on Thursday, Biden’s Republican challenger, former President Donald Trump, criticized Biden for failing to stem high levels of illegal immigration. Gang wars in Haiti have displaced over half a million people and nearly five million are facing severe food insecurity.

Armed groups, which now control most of the capital, have formed a broad alliance while carrying out killings, kidnappings and sexual violence.

Published in Dawn, June 29th, 2024