MARCANO: Americans want criminals deported, but not their neighbors

Truth has always been fickle. Just like beauty, it’s in the eye of the beholder. Which statement do you think is true?

The federal government said both within three weeks of each other. The Department of Homeland Security issued statement A on June 27th while the U.S. State Department issued statement B on July 15.

Which is true? Or, are they true to the extent that it meets a desired narrative?

There are thousands of Haitians in Springfield, Dayton and other area cities living here under Temporary Protected Status. The designation expires Feb. 3, 2026, at which point those Haitians revert back to their previous immigration status. Some will be able to stay in the U.S. while those without a legal right to be here are supposed to leave or be subject to deportation.

But where would they go?

Will they go to the DHS version of a country that’s “safe” enough or the State Department version that tells people to stay away?

Immigration hardliners will rightfully note that TPS was created by Congress in 1990 as a temporary program never meant to give permanent status to immigrants. The Department of Homeland Security can extend or cancel the program, so it’s simply exercising its authority. DHS, which follows the White House on immigration matters, wanted to end TPS as soon as September, but a federal court in New York said no, it has to stick to the original February deadline.

OK. But does that mean the United States is willfully demanding Haitians go back to an unsafe country beset by “kidnapping, crime, and terrorist activity?” That’s a much different picture than, “safe.”

That’s where the immigration debate takes a turn. Americans want criminals deported, but not their neighbors, making contributions in the community.

In Lima, for example, the conservative community has rallied around Marc Rocher, who fled Haiti in 2023 after his close friend was kidnapped. Rocher has a work permit which allows him to teach and offer translation services, NBC News reported.

Voters from both parties don’t want to see the Rocher’s of the world deported, let alone to a violent and disintegrating country.

That’s what Haiti is and has been for years. Still, when DHS says Haiti has “improved enough” to send people back, it appears it means kick out people it doesn’t want here.

Realistically, some (maybe most) of the estimated 500,000 Haitians in the country under TPS won’t go back unless they’re forced to. Those without legal status will stay in their close-knit communities, take whatever under-the-table jobs they can get, and eke out a life.

That’s far more attractive than going back to Haiti.

If Team Trump wants to end TPS, fine. But it shouldn’t force Haitians back to their island (unless they’ve been involved in criminal activity here) and put them in danger. It’s one thing to send them home to a stable environment. It’s another to play with their lives, and that’s what the government’s doing here.

Every Haitian who goes back faces suffering, whether it’s by violence, hunger, or abuse. America is supposed to be the land of compassion. It can meet its immigration goals while maintaining our humanity and compassion.

That’s the truth.

Ray Marcano’s column appears on these pages each Sunday.