Jessica Vaughn, the Director of Policy Studies at Center for Immigration Studies, responded this morning to a Reuters article about the ending of TPS for Haitians and Syrians, writing:
“A large share of Haitians (and Cubans & Venezuelans) who were allowed in under Biden did not come from their home countries but from 3rd countries like Chile, Brazil and Spain, where they had residency & work permits. So they can return there if they don’t want to go home.”
A large share of Haitians (and Cubans & Venezuelans) who were allowed in under Biden did not come from their home countries but from 3rd countries like Chile, Brazil and Spain, where they had residency & work permits. So they can return there if they don't want to go home. https://t.co/yj1MEpyCxM
— Jessica Vaughan (@JessicaV_CIS) June 26, 2026
Bill Melugin responded to this, confirming it with photos showing that many of the Haitians came from Chile & Brazil:
100% correct. When I was at the Del Rio, TX Haitian bridge camp in 2021, many of the Haitians told me they had been living in Chile & Brazil for years before coming to the US illegally for economic (not safety) reasons. The Haitians were dumping & tearing up their Chilean documents at the river’s edge hide this fact from the US so it wouldn’t hurt their fraudulent asylum claims.
The idea that all these Haitians came directly from Haiti after an earthquake or assassination is false. Many of them were living happily and safely for years in South America until Biden’s open border policies became too attractive to pass up. Others also flew into the US via Biden’s CHNV mass parole program which was supposed to be for only 2 year humanitarian parole grants. Of course, most never left.
100% correct. When I was at the Del Rio, TX Haitian bridge camp in 2021, many of the Haitians told me they had been living in Chile & Brazil for years before coming to the US illegally for economic (not safety) reasons. The Haitians were dumping & tearing up their Chilean… https://t.co/KbbX55bKda pic.twitter.com/okEZkjRoqI
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) June 26, 2026
So the entire TPS issue, for the most part, is one big fraud and I’m glad President Trump ended it. And the amazing thing for these TPS Haitians and Syrians is that they can still leave voluntarily with a $2,600 check in their wallet. But they do have to go, one way or the other.